Death Note: What If?
by Rasberry Jo
Summary: What if two factors had been different? What if Light's conscious had been stronger -or ego smaller- and what if he had been gay? L/Light or Light/L, eventually. YES THAT'S MALE/MALE ROMANCE, read at own risk! The beginning mostly all Light's POV.
1. Prologue&Ch1: Still Bored?

**Disclaimer****: I do not own Death Note. For one thing it belongs to the Japanese and I'm absolutely European.**

**Summary: What if two factors had been different? What if Light's conscious had been stronger (or ego smaller), and what if he had been gay?**

**Main pairing: L/Light or Light/L, that's still up for debate.**

**A/N: Those who read my Harry Potter/Iron Man xover know that I haven't updated in over a month. And before that over 4 months. Needless to say my inspiration is down the drain. I've taken to writing this because it's been in my head for months and **_**wouldn't**_** leave me alone. Also, I'm hoping after I've written this down my enthusiasm for 'OTaB' will return.**

**On a totally unrelated subject, I so do not like that the beloved Kroon is being replaced with Euros T_T. You politicians are BLOODY IDIOTS! Sentimentality aside, are you **_**trying **_**to bankrupt our country?**

**Also, who's going to be on top L or Light is very much up to you, but I personally prefer bottom!Light for at least this story, he's going to be a bit of a fruitcake anyway.**

**PS: thank you very much who offered to proofread 'OTaB', I haven't decided who yet.**

**PPS: this story would like a beta. Yes that means this is not being proofread.**

**And by the way: I will write Japanese names traditionally with the last name before the given name (like Yagami Light or Yagami Sayu); and the other's with their given name first (like Raye Penber or Lind L. Tailor)**

**Posted:**** 22 Dec. 2010 (at 2.30 in the friggin morning)**

There was one thing the Shinigami Ryuk and human Yagami Light had in common at that moment. They were both bored as hell. Granted for two completely different reasons. The Shinigami Ryuk was bored because he had been living in the same environment for too long, in a rotten world where everybody did _nothing_ but sit around and gamble (gets _really_ old after a few hundred years). However the human Yagami Light was bored because he was… um a genius? Simply put Yagami Light was bored because he was too smart.

At this very moment he was sitting in class, only partly listening to the teacher drone on about facts and theories he had known about for quite awhile already. And it was a complete coincidence that the bored 17-year-old saw a notebook innocently lying on the courtyard from the window-view seat he was sitting on. A notebook, which had been dropped there on purpose, but completely randomly, by an equally bored Shinigami.

This odd stream of coincidences sets off an even odder stream of events, which give the world the most excitement it's probably ever had.

* * *

**End Prologue**

* * *

**Chapter one: Still Bored?**

* * *

When the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, Light routinely packed up and got ready to head back home. However, when he got to the courtyard and heading towards the gate, he saw the same notebook still lying there.

Light lifted his eyes from the little black book and looked around. No one seemed to be missing their notebook. So for some odd reason Light picked up the abandoned notebook. He lifted it up and turned it around. _Death Note_ the boy read with a raised eyebrow. He opened it up.

_This is a Death God's notebook_ he read.

"Pfft" Light scoffed out loud. '_How to use it'. It's all in English, what a pain._ He thought rather apathetically. _'The human whose name is written in this note shall die'. Talk about sick. Why is everybody into this kind of crap anyway? It's as ridiculous as those chain letters that supposedly bring misfortune if you don't pass them on._

Still, for some reason unknown even to Light, he put the notebook into his bag and went home. When in his room, he took out the notebook again and started reading the instructions more closely. When he was done he sat up with a smirk on his lips.

_So you can let people die peacefully, or make them suffer. A prank __**this**__ intricate is not too bad, I guess._

Light threw himself on the bed and stared at the ceiling. However, pretty soon his sight was magnetically pulled back towards the black notebook now sitting innocently on his desk.

"Write in their name and they die. How moronic…" With that Light let out a yawn and tried to distract himself by thinking about what L looked like in person.

Ah L. The person Light had idolized since he had first heard about the illusive detective at the tender age of eight; nearly ten years ago when L had only begun to seriously make a reputation for himself. Since then Light had secret dreams about solving impossibly difficult cases with the detective.

When Light turned eleven and slowly began to sexually mature, and realized he was as gay as Disneyland, the fantasies of solving cases side by side with the person he always imagined male took a different turn. Sure they were still about him and L working side by side, but this time they weren't just partners in business, but in life as well.

Overall he knew his dreams and fantasies had the probability next to zero of becoming reality. For one thing L was probably his father's age, or only slightly younger. Not that there was anything wrong with slightly older men in Light's opinion, but he couldn't see him being with anyone more than a decade (and a half, maybe) his senior. Also he was probably never coming out of the closet anyway, but that's a whole other subject.

But at the moment even the fantasies, that had always kept Light company in his solitude, couldn't keep him from wanting to actually try writing at least one name in. So before Light knew it, he was off the bed and behind his desk, a pen in hand and ready to write.

"Wait a minute…" _If someone actually dies, would that make me a murderer?_ Burying that thought for the moment he thought about _whose_ name should, or rather could, be used. _I guess it would have to be… someone it's okay to kill… and who has no relation to me of any kind… and there has to be a way to find out right away if they die._

Light bit the end of his pen and his eyes landed on the TV. He picked up the remote and turned it on. _God, I'm getting too serious about this_ Light berated himself.

"_The man who indiscriminately killed and wounded six people yesterday in Shinjuku is still barricaded inside this nursery school, with eight hostages, including little children. The metropolitan police have determined the man's identity. He is Otoharada Kurou, 42 years old and unemployed. Two days ago Otoharada…"_ The newsreader continued on, but Light paid little attention.

_This world is such a rotten mess, where's our messiah when we need him? Sipping coconut cocktails __on the Canary isles?_ Light thought with a slight sneer and wrote _Otoharada_ _Kurou_ in the notebook. When he was done he turned his eyes to the digital clock.

_Forty seconds, and it's a heart attack_ he thought when the clock said 18:23:00*

_That's 40 seconds_ he thought when the clock said 18:23:41

_Nothing… I knew it._

"_What's this…? THE HOSTAGES ARE COMING OUT!"_

Light's breath hitched.

"_They all __seem to be all right. And now the police are going in! Will they be able to arrest Otoharada?"_

Light's breathing became more and more erratic as he saw the events unfold.

"_They are comin__g back out! But no sign of the captor just yet. Just what is going on?"_

If Light had not been sitting already his legs would have caved from under him. He felt cold sweat on his skin as he anxiously waited for more news.

"_This just in! The captor is inside the nursery, but he is dead! It seems that Otoharada has died!"_

"**DEAD?" **Light croaked, his throat suddenly dry.

"_The police are __emphasizing that they did __not__ shoot him. Could that mean he committed suicide? Well, the hostages are apparently saying he suddenly collapsed…"_

_A heart attack_ Light thought _It… could it be a coincidence. I suppose there's only one way to find out._

"Light!"

Light jumped as he heard his mother's voice call him.

"It's getting late, you have your prep course today."

"Uh, yeah. I was just getting ready to go." Light shouted back, still feeling a little off his kilter.

…_Somebody it would be okay to kill… no, who __**ought**__ to die._ He thought.

Actually he _still _thought about who it should be when at Gamou Prep Academy.

_It __**has**__ to be a criminal, but not too major, lest the police keep it from public. I need to know the results __**immediately**__._

A bully caught his attention. He was harassing a classmate to 'lend' him some cash.

_Sudou. Try killing him? No, I should __avoid anybody I actually know… am I being too paranoid? A guy like that, nobody's even going to notice. Although he is young still, there's a chance he'll turn decen- ow!_

There was a piece of chalk thrown at his head, effectively cutting his train of thought.

"You, Yagami! Mister number-one-nationwide! What are you doing spacing out? You're our star pupil! We need you to place first again!" The instructor barked.

"A, sorry sir." Light apologized, feeling a bit weirded out by the overzealous teacher.

When the prep school was over, Light started making his way home again.

_Damn. You start looking around and all you see are people the world would be better off without._

Light was about to enter a convenience store, when he noticed a gang of bikers harassing an attractive female. The alpha male making one of the lamest come-ons Light had had the displeasure of hearing. However, in that pickup line, by some bad luck (for the biker at least) a name was included. Light, not one to let golden opportunities such as these pass, entered the convenience store, took a random magazine and opened the death note on top of it. Light then proceeded to scribble in the name Shibuimaru Takuo in every possible kanji (he didn't bother with hiragana, that's so rare, it would be a waste of paper) spelling way as possible, and added the words 'traffic accident' behind each. Silently he watched his wristwatch and waited for the ominous 40 seconds to pass.

_Now… _he thought when the time was up _Let's see what happens._

And this is what happened: the harassee made a run for it, the harasser, overconfident in his bike, tried to follow. Too late did his friends yell after him, and he got rammed by a 16-wheeler.

_This… proves it… the death note… really works!_

Amidst the chaos that the traffic 'accident' brought, no one paid Light any attention as he slinked away. Light's steps were fast at first, nearly sprinting, when he slowed down to a stop and put a hand over his mouth, trying to fight back a bile that wanted to rise to his throat.

_I… I have killed… I have killed… twice. I have killed… me!_

Light removed his hand from his mouth and looked and his shaking palms.

_What do I do? Get… rid of this evil thing._ Was the first thought that popped into his head, but the shaky but deep breaths he took dissolved the adrenaline and made the red blood cells bring more oxygen to his brain.

_No… I was actually doing a service, killing Otoharada. But what about the other guy? What he did wasn't worth a death penalty… unless… Unless rape is… was actually…_

Light pushed himself away from the wall he hadn't even noticed he had been leaning against.

_Wait. Isn't this exactly what I've been thinking all along? This world… is a rotten __**mess**__. __**It needs to be cleaned up**__._

Light had regained, well mostly regained, his posture and continued his trek home. All the while still pondering the notebook.

_I… with this notebook I actually have the opportunity to do that at least a little bit. The question is… do I have the guts?_

Light did not sleep very well that night; his brain was in too much overdrive.

The next day at school was when Light made up his mind.

_I'm a wreck after killing just two. Can I really do it? Can I take it? Maybe not… Oh, come on, I can't just quit. So what if I lose my peace of mind, so what if I… __have to sacrifice people's lives… Somebody __**has to**__ do this. The world needs to be cleaned up a little. Just suppose I gave the notebook to somebody else. Could they do it? I don't think very many people with a clear conscience can do this. They'd either not use it, or use it for personal gain. I can do this. I… not only that. I'm probably the only person who can; who __**would**__. I have to do this. I'm using the death note, to help this world._

Four days later Light had already fallen into his routine. He didn't know that on this day his routine would gain a… companion.

"I'm home." Light said his usual greeting, after getting home.

"Light, is that you?" Sachiko's voice replied.

As Light was taking off his shoes his mother came to stand in front of him. When Light was done taking off his shoes his gaze stopped on his mother who was smiling and slightly wiggling around happily like a worm. It took a moment for Light to figure out why she was acting like child who stole a cookie and not get caught.

"Oh, yeah." He said while reaching from his bag and giving Sachiko his practice college exam results.

"Oh my, you placed first again- and these mock exams were nationwide." Sachiko said, just as happy as any mother would be after hearing these kinds of news.

"Uhuh. Well, I'll be studying, so don't bother me, okay?" Light replied nonchalantly while going up the stairs.

"Alright, dear. Oh, Light. Is there anything you've been wanting? Anything at all- just let me know."

"No, mom," _I already have what I want._

Light entered his room, locked the door, and exhaled. He turned on his computer, TV and took the death note from the drawer.

He looked at the black book he had come to both hate and love.

"_**You seem to**__** like it."**_ A hackling voice said from behind him.

Light jumped, feeling as if his heart had jumped into his throat, and turned to see a horrific, thin, tall creature with buggy yellow and red eyes and a parodic grin.

"YAAARGH!" Light let out a scream and fell over in momentary fright.

"_**Why'r'ya so surprised to see me? I'm Ryuk, the Shinigami who dropped that notebook. With the way you looked at it just now I can tell you know it isn't just **__**any**__** old notebook… Right?"**_

"A S-Shinigami…?" A shaking Light asked.

The shaking was only momentary, though. Closing his eyes and exhaling a breath, he opened his eyes again and this time all traces of fear were replaced with calm determination. Light reached for his chair, and helped himself stand up again.

"A 'death god'…" He muttered out loud.

"No, I'm not actually surprised to see you, Ryuk. In fact, I have been waiting for you."

"_**Really?"**_

"Gee, a personal visit from a Shinigami. How kind of you. Can't say I doubted that this death note is a Shinigami's notebook, but seeing you lets me act with greater certainty. Plus I have some things I would like to ask you."

Light took the death note and opened it on a random used page and showed it to the Shinigami. The Shinigami took the notebook to study it a little closer. Then he let out a hackling laugh.

"_**Hee hee. Now this is amazing. I guess **__**I**__** am the one who's surprised here. I've heard of death notes' getting in human's hands before a few times… but no one's ever done this much in just five days. I guess most people would be too scared."**_

Light watched as the clearly amused Shinigami looked through the notebook.

"I'm ready for just about anything. I used to death note, knowing fully who it belonged to. So what happens to me now? Are you going to take my soul or something like that?"

The Shinigami gave the human a weird look.

"_**Ee? What's with that? Some freaky fantasy you humans came up with? Ain't gonna do anything to ya. The moment a death note falls to the human world it belongs there. So it's yours now."**_

"Mine…" Light whispered. He didn't know whether to think that good news or bad.

"_**Ya don't want it, give it to another human. I'll just have to erase your memories concerning the note. Oh, and…"**_ With that the tall creature jumped out the window and on an electric line post. No one seemed to notice there was a 2 meter tall monster above their heads.

"_**Since you used the Death Note that used to be mine you are the only one who can hear and see me."**_ Ryuk turned his parodic grinning face towards Light_** "The death note is the bond between Light the human and Ryuk the Shinigami."**_

"The bond…" Light whispered.

"So, there really is no price to pay? For a human using the note?"

Ryuk came back inside and cocked his head.

"_**Not exactly. I guess there's the terror and torment **__**that humans who have used it seem to suffer. And when you die, **__**I**__** will be the one to write your name down. However…"**_ Ryuk gained an especially creepy look and said in a rather sadistic tone: _**"Don't think that any human who has used the death note can go to either heaven or hell… that is all."**_

Light looked at Ryuk. It seemed as if the Shinigami wanted him to react scared just for his amusement.

"_**You'll find out about that after you die."**_

_I guess I will really have to become a martyr. Though it's only fair that murderers can't get into heaven._

"A-alright. One more question, though. Why did you choose _me_?"

"_**Mhuh?"**_ Ryuk cocked his head and then laughing his hackling laugh.

"_**Don't flatter yourself. All I did was drop the notebook. Ya thought you were chosen because you were smart or sometin'? It just happened to drop here, and you just happened to pick it up. That's why I wrote the instructions in English. That's the most popular language, right?"**_

This didn't make entirely sense. Why did he drop it at random?

"Then why did you drop it?" Light voiced his confusion out loud. "After you wrote the instructions there's no way it was an accident."

"_**Why? Hyuk hyuk hyuk. Because I was bored. It might be an odd thing for a Shinigami to say, but I didn't feel like I was really alive. The Shinigami of today don't have a whole lot to do. All they do is gamble or nap. If they see you scribbling names in your note, they'll just laugh at ya and ask why'r'ya workin' so hard for.**__** Scribbling human names while in the Shinigami realm is no fun, and death notes don't work on Shinigami. It's more fun to be here, I figured"**_

The Shinigami took the death note and lapped through the pages again.

"_**Gotta say though. You've written an assload here."**_

"I was…" Light whispered quietly.

The Shinigami turned his gaze from the notebook to Light.

"… bored too." He finished.

"Of course I didn't believe at first. But there's something about that notebook that makes anybody want to at least try to use it at least once."

Light explained to Ryuk how he had been bored to death with this world as well, simply because there was no one or anything to provide him with enough mental stimuli. He talked about what he thought about the world, about what a rotten mess it was. And finally he told how he came to the decision to use the death note for the greater good.

"You're pretty much right about the torment and terror, though. I admit I've barely been able to sleep for these past five days and I've lost quite a bit of weight, considering it's only been five days, well four if you consider the time I've really been active." Light took a break from explaining and took a deep breath "Still, I cannot quit just yet. I'm writing in the names of the world's most brutal criminals. All the information I need is in my room, my computer and 24-hour world news from the TV."

Ryuk hmmed and asked a question of his own:

"_**The only specified death is the guy who got done in in a traffic accident, no one else. How come? Can't be bothered?"**_

Light let out the truest laugh he'd had for awhile now.

"But that's the best thing about the notebook. If you don't specify, they all die from a heart attack. I've already covered the most vicious end evil criminals, so the level of atrocity should be declining already. Every single one of them of a heart attack- even a fool would notice."

Light let his gay side, the one he usually kept under tight wraps, shine through and let out a pretty girlish giggle. "I want the world to know I'm here- that there's somebody out there passing judgment on those with tainted hearts." Light lifted his head and looked at the Shinigami "The world will become a better place, as fewer people would commit crimes. Of course thinking I'd be able to completely cleanse the world is naïve, but the possibility of making it significantly purer than it is now is very real."

"_**You do that and the only one left completely rotten is you."**_

"What are you talking about? I'm a straight-A student, and model teenager."

Light sent Ryuk a cocky smile before his demeanor sobered.

"But you are completely right. When there are no more murderers left in the world, I'll be the world's only serial killer. I fear I won't be able to know when to draw the line to stop killing."

Light looked at Ryuk with an almost crazy glint in his eyes.

"But that's when _you _come in."

Ryuk looked surprised for a moment before he started laughing.

_**Hyuk, hyuk. I was right. Humans are fun!**_ He thought giddily.

* * *

Coming days the routine was pretty much the same, aside for Ryuk the Shinigami haunting his every step. Light didn't generally mind it except when he tried to take a shower. No matter how gruesome Ryuk looked like it still seemed to be a he, and naturally made Light a little bashful in the nude department. Did Shinigami even have a gender?

People had begun to notice that someone was offing criminals. Some of Light's acquaintances said that they were glued to the news these days, one mock freaked out because he had done some shoplifting (a bag of peanuts) a few years back. But mostly Light was very pleased to hear that he was being cheered on.

Right now Light was walking home, some of his peers with him going by his house to reach their own. Light had spent the entire walk listening to their rather outlandish theories about Kira's identity. Kira- the name he had been given by the public.

"See ya tomorrow, Light!"

"Yeah, bye." Light shouted back as they passed his house.

"_**You seem to be enjoying this, Light."**_ The ever-present Shinigami wheezed, referring to the hero-worship.

"Not really, Ryuk." He replied and entered the house.

"I'm home." He shouted his greeting, and his mother replied.

Light went to his room and took the death note from the drawer.

"I just can't relax until I see this, when I'm at school or elsewhere."

"_**I gotta say, you're really dedicated to this."**_ Ryuk remarked.

"I don't have time to waste. I only have a few hours a day to write names between school and going to bed. it's important I stay on top of my class, so I can't fall asleep at school, and I have to do all my homework for both prep and school. If I don't get enough sleep it will affect my concentration and health. It is bad enough I get bad dreams from this, I can't sacrifice any more. Besides I want to forget about this as soon as possible."

"_**Nhuh?"**_

"You said you will have to erase my memories if I were to ever give this notebook away."

"_**So I did."**_

"While it's been getting easier, I still don't want the guilt of knowing I've killed so many in cold blood. I like the fact I will lose all my memories once I'm done. However, even with the speed I'm going at now, I'm afraid my mission might take years."

"_**So, forget huh? **__**Just don't forget that I will still be the one to write your name in my own notebook."**_

Light turned away from the computer to send Ryuk a dazzling, albeit a tad fake, smile.

"You can still do that after erasing my memories. Besides, you'll only kill me at the very end of my life, as compensation for all the amusement I'll give you, right?"

Without waiting for a reply, Light returned to the pc screen. Ryuk cocked his head before dissolving into laugh.

"Hey, Ryuk. Come check this out."

Ryuk, still laughing slightly, floated over the where Light was sitting.

"People are already putting up websites. They're calling me Kira. Can't say I like it how it's obviously taken from 'killer'- but nonetheless it's appropriate, I suppose. People know I exist, despite that the media still refers me as 'series of mysterious heart-attacks among criminals'.

This is what human's are like, Ryuk. For example: at school there would be no subject as 'is it okay to kill someone evil'. But if there were, hypothetically, just about everyone would say that no, it's wrong to kill anybody. And of course, that would be politically correct way to answer; it's the façade everyone keeps up. However, _this_ is what these same people really think." Light had opened up a few random websites that were basically urging Kira on to continue passing judgment.

"Once people are given anonymity, they admit what they truly think and feel." Light laughed out loud "Cowards, not acknowledging me openly." With the easygoing smile he had, Ryuk doubted Light actually minded.

Suddenly a static interrupted the pair. They turned to the television to see as the picture returned.

"_We a interrupting the program to bring you a live, globally televised broadcast from Interpol, with Japanese voice-over by interpreter Anderson Yoshio."_

There was a man on TV. He was about early to mid 30s, and the name plate said 'LIND.L. TAILOR'. Light thought he looked fairly cute.

"_I am Lind L. Taylor, more commonly known as "L"- the sole person able to mobilize police in every country worldwide."_

What happened next gave Ryuk the biggest surprise he'd ever received. Light stood up from his chair, it seemed like his entire body seemed suddenly became electrically fired, he wiggled around bizarrely, and Ryuk could've sworn he saw stars in his eyes.

"L~" Light crooned, the smile on his lips threatening to split his face in half.

Ryuk didn't know whether to be freaked out or laugh.

"_Criminals have been the target of a killing spree, which has turned into the biggest mass murder case in history. This monstrous crime must be stopped at all costs. 'Kira', as the perpetrator is commonly known, will be caught. I guarantee it."_

"_**He guarantees ya'll be caught. Hyuk, hyuk."**_

Light's attention seemed to be in its all time low "Hehe, I was kind of hoping this would happen. But I'd never dream that L _personally_ would even reveal his f-" The giddy smile Light had been wearing left him abruptly.

"_Kira, I think I've got a pretty good idea of why you're doing this. But what you are doing… __IS EVIL__."_

"Evil?" Light echoed. "I can't say I disagree."

He took a seat and whipped out a pen.

"As much as I want to flatter myself and think L would find me important enough to personally appear before the world, that would be far too stupid a move. Not to mention desperate- and this game's only begun. L's far too smart to paint a target at the back of his head."

Light scribbled '_Lind.L. Tailor' _neatlyto the page.

"I don't think L would risk an innocent life either, so that guy's probably a criminal. And if it really is L- then I guess the guy I admired the most in this world really didn't deserve my respect as much."

Light and Ryuk waited for the clock to tick its 40 seconds. And like clockwork Tailor collapsed when the time was up. When two men wearing shades dragged the body away from the screens another voice made itself knows.

"_I don't believe it…"_ it was mechanically contorted _"This was an experiment to test a hunch I had, but I never really thought… Kira… you can actually kill people without direct contact. I couldn't believe it without seeing it with my own eyes. You'd have to, of course, it didn't make sense otherwise."_

Ryuk watched, fascinated, as the starts returned to Light's eyes.

"_Listen to me, Kira. If you just killed Lind L. Tailor, that man you just saw, he was a condemned criminal scheduled to die today, at this hour. That wasn't me. His arrest and conviction were kept secret from the media and were unreported even on the internet. Even you had no way of knowing, it seems."_

"_**Hyuk,**__** hyuk. Your hunch was right, Light."**_

"_So, come on! Kill me if you can."_

"What?" Light suddenly lost the stars again.

"_What are you waiting for?"_

"No, L, _no_. I would _never_ kill you."

"_**Hyuk, hyuk, he's breathing the biggest sigh of relief now. He ain't dead yet. Even if ya wanted to off him, you couldn't."**_

"_Now I will give __you__ some information in return. Although it was announced that this was televised globally, actually it was broadcast only in the Kanto region around Tokyo. The plan was to broadcast live to other areas afterwards, but that's no longer necessary. You are in the Kanto region of Japan, Kira."_

"_**Hyuk, hyuk. He's pretty sharp, that L. I can see why **__**you**__** would idolize him."**_

"_Although the police have missed this__, your first victim was the Shinjuku killer who took 8 people hostage in a nursery school. His crime, when compared to your usual victims, was rather minor. Moreover this incident was only reported in Japan. That was all the information I needed. I know you are in Japan, and that your first victim was nothing more than a guinea pig for testing your powers. We broadcasted first in Kanto was because it has the biggest regional population. That you happened to be there was pure luck. I didn't expect this to work so perfectly according to plan, but… now, I dare say it won't be long before I send you to your execution."_

Ryuk watched, fascinated and not a little amused, as Light pouted at the television screen.

"_Kira, it would interest me greatly to know __how__ you carry out your murders… but that's something I can find out __after__ I catch you!"_

"Send me to die? L, of all people I thought you'd be the one to understand why I'm doing this. It's true that Kira is evil, but this evil is merely temporary… and very much necessary.

"'_Till we meet again, Kira."_ And the screen went back to static.

"_**So what now, Light?"**_

"L is too much of an asset to this world. He is needed, no matter what. I will finish my mission before L will find me, without hard evidence he won't be able to pin me. And without the death note- no hard evidence. But in the mean time I will have some fun with him."

"_**What about the possibility that you'll lose and he does manage to catch ya?"**_

Light turned to Ryuk and smiled humorlessly.

"No matter what L has to live. You will either wipe my memories, or _**if**_ L does manage to catch me- my name goes to your notebook. But not before I tell it to. Deal?"

_**Humans are… a riot!**_ Ryuk thought, ecstatic.

"_**A."**_

* * *

Whoever will win this battle of wits, one thing was clear: neither the Shinigami Ryuk, nor the Human Yagami Light were bored any more.

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***For those who are only used to am/pm system: 18 means 6 pm.**

**Word count: 5197 (including prologue, excluding side notes)**


	2. Ch2: Just Because I'm Selfish

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. For one thing it belongs to the Japanese and I'm absolutely European.**

**Summary: What if two factors had been different? What if Light's conscious had been stronger (or ego smaller), and what if he had been gay?**

**Main pairing: L/Light or Light/L, that's still up for debate.**

**A/N: So yeah. If I won't post again before the 25****th**** I will post on 7****th****. I'm leaving for a vacation and I'm not taking my laptop with me. Otherwise I'd never get a tan! Thanks for the two sweethearts who reviewed last time. Enjoy!**

**This Story Is Not Proofread!**

**Posted: 22 Dec. 2010 (an hour before midnight, in the Baltic at least)**

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**Chapter two: Just Because I'm Selfish.**

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* * *

**

Ryuk had never seen Light so aloof before. There he was, lounging on the doorframe leading to his small balcony, like he didn't have a worry in the world.

"_**Never seen you look so listless before."**_ The Shinigami remarked.

"Just taking a break… I want to see what the cops do next. Plus I'm feeling kind of tired."

With a sigh, Light took a magazine _'Sexy Enquirer'_ from his desk and dangled it in front of himself.

""Super sleuth L, Interpol's shadowy mastermind, vs. supernatural Kira, telepathic mass murderer." What a bore. And this magazine claims that L and Kira are fictional characters made up by police, to eliminate criminals without having to answer to laws. Such crap." Light yawned and stretched "Everywhere you go you hear or see news and theories about 'L and Kira'. It's all people talk about these days. I do suppose this might be pretty interesting… if I wasn't Kira." Light rolled his neck, making it pop "Kira's gotta give his mind a rest."

"_**A rest? Police worldwide is after your hide. Ya sure you can afford to chill?"**_

"Afford to?" Light sent a smirk in Ryuk's direction "Yes, I can. Because I have a certain… advantage."

_**A certain advantage…?**_ Ryuk echoed in his mind, getting more intrigued by the day.

Suddenly Light's door handle rattled.

"Why'd you always have to lock your door, Light?"

"Sayu? What's up?"

"I need help with… homework."

Ryuk was quite confused by the grin that spread on Light's face.

"Ah, sure. One moment, Sayu." Light said and put his death note in a drawer.

"Ta-dah! Quadratic functions!" Sayu said cheerfully and held out her homework.

"U-huh." Light said mischievously.

Ryuk began to think he was missing something here, but still…

"_**Careful, Light. **__**That death note in your drawer… if she, or anyone actually, touches it will be able to see me."**_

Ryuk was quite amused by the really annoyed look Light sent his way.

"Hey, were you reading this dirty magazine? I thought you only bought them rarely to throw mom and dad off any trail." _**Off any trail?**_

"Hey!" Light said, annoyed now at his sister too "I was looking at the articles about L and Kira" Light justified.

"Oh yeah, you gonna be a detective when you grow up. Hehe, so you're studying for that too?"

"Totally. I'm definitely aiming to be the top dog in NPA."

"I bet you will be, too."

_**Is this the 'advantage' he was talking about? But that's years from now."**_

Light took Sayu's homework and lapped through it.

"How we're related I'll never know. You're a moron." Light said jokingly.

"Well, maybe if I was a lesbo I might be smart as you."

_**Eh?**_

Light grabbed a pillow from his bed and smacked his sister. She retaliated immediately by grabbing the other pillow and smacking him back, homework on the floor, completely forgotten. Before soon the siblings were both giggling and running around the room while trying to land more blows than the other.

"Seriously though, Sayu, are you falling behind?" Light asked his sister when the pair had calmed down a little.

"Neeeh, well not really. I'm no brainiac like you, but just because I don't get straight-As doesn't mean I'm falling behind. Do my nails? They've started to look a little sad, lately."

_**I don't think this the type of relationship a brother is normally supposed to have with his younger sister.**_ Ryuk thought as Light pulled a nail kit from behind some of his books in his bookcase.

"So? Met anyone cute recently?"

"Not really."

"Aww, come on, no one in prep?"

"Woe is me; it's unfortunate that anyone who I find remotely good looking is challenged in the intelligence department."

"Ryuga Hideki's cu~te, isn't he?"

"Definitely aesthetically pleasing."

"Heee! Why're you saying that like he doesn't have two brain cells to rub together? And since you're into intelligence so much, that's a major insult."

"I don't know if he's smart or not. Those pop idols are just meant for aesthetics, and I do enjoy looking. That's it."

"Cold." Sayu pouted. "What about L?" She asked deviously. "You've cooed over him like any high school girl ever since you hit puberty."

Light's cheeks gained a light dusting of pink.

"That's different. He's my role model, plus no one knows what he looks like; not exactly designed for ogling. I just admire his brilliance."

"Bet you fantasize about what he looks like, though. C'mon share, I wanna know."

"Considering the time he started merely _gaining_ a reputation, he's probably the same age as dad, so what does it matter?"

"That guy who played L in TV a few days ago was way younger than dad. I think L chose him because he was close to his age."

"L chose that guy because he was a deathrow inmate. No other reason."

"Bet you went really gaga for a moment before you found that out, though."

Light blushed a little deeper, but denied everything. Ryuk, on the other hand, almost laughed himself to tears and decided he liked Sayu.

The siblings heard someone come home.

"Oh, that must be dad! He's home early today."

"Light, Sayu! Dinner's ready!" Sachiko yelled from downstairs.

"Do my other hand after dinner, okay?" Sayu said and ran downstairs.

"Hi, daddy." She said cheerfully, not even stopping on the way to the dining room.

"Welcome home, dad." Light said in a lot more subdued manner, as he stopped by.

"Yeah, finally."

Dinner was as usual. Soichiro made small talk and asked his children about school and such.

"You seem tired, dad." Light remarked.

"Well… this case is a hard one. It's practically a wild goose chase. However, the person in charge believes that the killer is most probably a student…."

"I'm not sure this is the kind of conversation we should be having in a dinner table." Sachiko chided.

"Why not? Light's ideas have helped move our investigations forward before."

_**Ah, Light's advantage is his father; the detective superintendent of the NPA.**_

"I'm done." Light said.

"Ah, already?" Sayu was surprised, and started stuffing her face faster.

"Sayu was that all the help you needed?"

"Mmf, wnt shm mre, aftr m dn eenn." (Want some more, after I'm done eating)

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Sayu." Sachiko chided her youngest.

"Was Light helping you with your homework, again?"

"No, he was going my nails." Sayu said with a sarcastic tone. "Thanks a lot for blabbering, Light." She said mock madly.

Light turned away to hide his grin, Sayu always found truth to be funniest.

"Mom, I'll clean up my room myself, so don't come inside."

"You know I never clean your room any more. You've been doing it yourself since you began high school."

Light returned to his room and locked the door, as per usual.

"_**So they've already narrowed it down to a student in the Kanto region, huh Light?"**_

"Narrowed it down? On the contrary, Ryuk, I've been leading them to think that from the beginning. Now I can use the death note for a different purpose. I think what is going to happen next will amuse you, Ryuk."

Light started writing in the notebook when his door handle rattled again.

"Geez, Light, paranoid much?" Came Sayu's muffled voice.

Light hid the notebook and unlocked his door.

"You _know_ I have a reason to."

"Touché, Light."

* * *

Three days later Light was on his way to an abandoned house when Ryuk couldn't take it any more.

"_**I still don't get it. You've killed 23 prison inmates for the past three days. If you wanted them off your trail why did you leave breadcrumbs leading them to think you're a student in the first place?"**_

"That's not it, Ryuk. L is smart; he'd be able to figure out that I can easily manipulate times of death. But mainly that there's a leak in the police headquarters." Light let out a hearty laugh "I just like messing with him. This is the most fun I've had since… actually I don't think I've ever had this much fun."

"_**Ho, that's what you've been doing. But didn't you idolize L?"**_

"I do. But that doesn't mean I have to let him win easily. Right now, though, I've got another problem I have to take care of."

"_**Sexual frustration?"**_

"Oh, ha ha, Ryuk. I meant hiding the notebook. Ever since you told me anyone who touches it can see you I've been carrying it with me. That's far too hazardous."

"_**You're not actually thinking about hiding it here, are you?"**_

"Don't be ridiculous, Ryuk. I'd have to keep coming here for pages and that would raise eyebrows after a while. Someone might find it and touch it here too easily."

"_**Hehe, you can't exactly pass me off as a 'friend'."**_

"My sister would have a heart attack just by seeing your face."

Ryuk didn't comment. Ever since he found out Light's sexual orientation he'd been making cracks at it, and Light had taken to making remarks about his appearance. Neither of them meant any of them maliciously though, and neither took real offence either. Actually they both found it pretty funny. The relationship between the human and Shinigami was an odd one.

* * *

After the warehouse, where Light had done some weird explosion experiment, the pair went to a home improvement store. After Light was done with some shopping there, the pair went back home, where Light started working on something about his desk.

"_**Hey Light, why did you deliberately make L suspect people in the NPA? Isn't that worse than thinking you're a student and doesn't that bring him closer to discovering who you are?"**_

"Noticed that was odd, huh?"

Ryuk waited for Light to explain further.

"You don't seem to have a very good understanding about human nature, yet. Human beings are selfish, often two-faced, beings. That does not exclude me."

"_**Being selfish, shouldn't you make L going in circles? To prevent him from ever catching you?"**_

"That's the safe thing to do, but not selfish. You know that L has been my idol since I was a kid."

"_**You want to meet him."**_Ryuk realized.

"Very good, Ryuk. And I can't very well do that if the only thing I do is hide the notebook."

5 minutes later

"That was easier than I though." Light muttered to himself.

"_**Mhuh? You managed to hide the notebook?"**_

"Yup, right here, in this top drawer."

"… _**does that even count as hiding?"**_

Light went about explaining the finer points of the hiding place. Ryuk was pretty impressed. And amused too.

"_**Talk about playing with fire. If you make even a little mistake yourself you'll burn yourself."**_

"I wouldn't call this playing, Ryuk. Though truthfully I've been 'playing with fire' from the very beginning. I'd rather have a small fire in my house than get a death penalty."

"_**Can I have an apple?"**_

* * *

Ryuk didn't like school or prep very much. Finding incredibly boring, he ironically mirrored the feelings of most students ever to attend nowadays. But at the moment he much preferred this to the creeped out feeling he got when they left the building.

"_**Ne, Light, got a moment?"**_

"I told you not to talk to me outside my room, Ryuk. People will think me odd talking to myself."

"_**I know but I want to tell you this now. It's creeping me out."**_

This got Light's attention. What could give a Shinigami shivers?

"_**I have nothing against you, Light. In a way I think you're probably the best person to pick up the notebook**__**, to me. Because I have to stick to you until you or the notebook's done. And because the notebook doesn't ever run out of pages it might be awhile before that."**_

Light nodded ever so slightly, already knowing all this.

"_**I'm neither on your side or L's. I'm not telling you what you're doing is right or wrong, **__**but I will speak up as your roomie every one in awhile."**_

_This isn't like you, Ryuk. What's happening?_

"_**What I mean is I'm not your ally, I'm just tellin' you because it's bugging me personally."**_

"What is it?" Light whispered so that only Ryuk heard.

"_**Because I'm always floating behind you I noticed right away. It's seriously getting on my nerves. These last couple days… there's this guy always followin' ya."**_

Light sucked in a breath in surprise.

"_**He doesn't see me obviously, but I feel like being watched. It's annoying."**_

Light let out the breath to calm his nerves as well as irritation.

"That has to be a pain indeed. If he's really a stalker I'll get rid of him. Until then float above me, not behind."

Ryuk seemed surprised at not coming up with it himself.

_For two days this guy has seen an ordinary senior. Or rather a very ambitious college bound senior._

"I'm home."

"Welcome back, Light."

_He hasn't entered my room_ Light thought as he saw the sliver of paper and other traps in place.

_It's been six day's since the leak was discovered, and I've been followed for two. Damn, L, that was fast. Right now the likelihood that I'm being suspected is next to zero, but if this goes on for months I might actually get under scrutiny. Hmm, before that happens I will have to give up my death note. Without it or my direct confession I can't be pinned. But what if it really is a stalker? A cute guy stalker…_

Light snapped himself out of the track his mind just took

_Idiot, this is no place to indulge these fantasies. Either way I need to find out who's shadowing me. So how's the best way about doing it?_

"_**Light"**_

"Hmm?"

"_**There are two big differences between humans and Shinigami.**__** Do you know why Shinigami write people's names into these notebooks?"**_

"Aren't you in a talkative mood today? How would I know?"

"_**Shinigami get extra life from humans."**_

"Extra life?

"_**We **__**are**__** gods after all, so unless a Shinigami's been exceptionally lazy they won't die even if you shoot or stab them. Hyuk, hyuk, I have actually seen a few die from their own laziness. Also there exists a way to kill Shinigami; however I don't know what that is."**_

_**But if **__**you**__** were to write a human's name in the notebook, you wouldn't get any extension to your lifespan. That's the first big difference between humans with death notes and Shinigami."**_

"That's truly fascinating Ryuk. Nobody knows about these kinds of things about Shinigami."

"_**I know… Now the second difference might be even more interesting to you…"**_

"Our looks?"

Ryuk rolled his eyes.

"_**Y'know, I don't I've ever met a gay Shinigami."**_

"Yes you have, they're all in the closet."

Ryuk started laughing.

"_**Like you? Anyway, the other difference. We Shinigami look to your world from our realm and usually just pick a random person our eyes land on with a significant amount of time left. There might be some preference involved, but usually it's pure coincidence."**_

"The unlucky bastard who's possessed by a Shinigami." Light whispered a little maliciously. No point to feel remorse over something so inevitable.

"_**So how do we know a person's name, just by lookin' at them?"**_ Ryuk asked, standing uncomfortably close _**"The eyes of a Shinigami… can see a human's name and lifespan over their heads."**_ Ryuk declared dramatically.

"Their name and lifespan?" Light echoed lightly.

"_**That is how Shinigami always know the name of the person they want to kill. And also how much extra life they get for their own. Our eyes are the biggest difference between you and me.**_

_**And…**_

_**There is a deal a Shinigami and the human possessing their death note can make, which will give the human the sight of a Shinigami."**_

"What kind of deal?"

"_**The price of a Shinigami's eyes is… half of the remaining part of a human's lifetime.**_

_**Gotta say though, the deal has no real advantage to us Shinigami; I can use anybody to expand my life. It was made solely to help humans who've picked up the notebook. Also, as one of the rules of the Shinigami world, I'm forbidden from telling you anyone else's name or lifespan.**_

_**Give me half your lifespan, and you can have the eyes."**_

"Know a person's name just by looking at them… sounds great. Ryuk, this deal is… completely out of the question."

Ryuk cocked his head _**"I thought you might think that. I just wanted to let you know, is all. Had to get it out of the way cuz I didn't want to hear any bitchin' about not tellin' you afterwards. Also, you can make the deal at any time, as long as you're the owner of that death note."**_

"'Had to get it out of the way' did you?" Light turned to look at Ryuk like headmaster or class teacher would a kid with a real history mischief: a mixture of annoyance and anger, but nothing they didn't expect.

"In that case, aren't you already a little late? Shouldn't you have told me this the first time we met, or write it down on the 'how to use' part?"

"_**Uh, right," **_Ryuk replied, feeling very sheepish for some reason, like he really was the mischievous kid, caught red handed once more.

_**Even though I'm a Shinigami he's never been afraid of me or tried to suck up. And when it comes to stuff like this he's somehow not someone you wanna screw with.**_

"So?"

"_**Eh?"**_

"Anything _else_ you want to tell me, Shinigami Ryuk? I won't be hearing about any more deals or rules later, now am I?"

"_**Uh, nothing else…" Probably. Geez, Light would make one hell of a parent. No kid's gonna want to **__**disappoint a dad with that cold an aura.**_

"Hmm, shame."

"_**Shame?" I'm starting to think Light's bipolar.**_

"If I could have your wings instead, I might have seriously considered a deal. To be able to fly around with nothing between your legs but air has been a dream men have had since mankind first dreamed."

"_**If you sprouted wings and did just that the cops would probably arrest you just for seeming supernatural."**_

"I was joking, Ryuk."

"_**Besides they would probably get in the way when someone tried to bugger you from behind."**_

"At least I'm attractive enough for someone to actually want to do that." Light said grinning while examining his nails; Ryuk just snickered at the comments.

"Still, if I keep cutting deals like the wings and eyes I might as well become a real Shinigami myself. That would be pretty interesting as well. Well, aside for the ugly factor, that is."

"_**Don't worry, Light. **__**Even without doing that you're already a fine Shinigami… And the first gay one."**_

Light smirked.

"Well, from what you've told me I'm definitely working a lot harder than any of them. But don't lump me together with you guys. I'm using the death note **as** a human **for** other human being. Not for a reason as selfish as my own survival. Oh!"

"_**You got some bright idea? You look like you had an epiphany."**_

"I haven't used the death note for my own selfish purposes to this extent before. Why not? Ryuk, I've figured out how to find out who's been tailing me."

"_**What are you up to, Light?"**_

"After writing the cause of death, details of the death should be written in 6 minutes and 40 seconds. But first I need to test how far I can actually go with these 'details'…. By using the stock of criminals I've kept for times like this. And also… this gives me the opportunity to mess with L."

A few hours later

"Check this out, Ryuk. My test results are already in my dad's computer. The death note's truly remarkable, this is just as I expected."

"_**What kind of results are they?"**_

"The first guy escaped ad died in the nearest public restroom, the second drew the same picture I drew, and the third left a note word by word what I wrote. Those three did exactly what I wrote after writing 'heart attack'. Time of death isn't mentioned, but I'm betting it's the same as well."

"_**Oh? But ya had six victims."**_

"Yes, these three were meant to do as I willed, but the other three I gave impossible details. For the first guy I wrote: dies in front of Eiffel tower at six. It's physically impossible to get from Japan to the France in just half an hour, so he died of a heart attack.

For the second guy: draws a perfect likeness the Shinigami Ryuk's face on the prison wall, but you can't exactly draw someone you've never seen.

For the last one: writes 'I know that L suspects the Japanese police'. I actually thought this might work, but since it didn't it means he can't actually do something he didn't know or couldn't think of by himself.

In other words, even with the death note, impossible is still impossible. As long as it's not completely unnatural for that person, they'll do them."

"_**Why my face?"**_

"Hmm? I thought about using L, but in the case it had actually worked… I didn't want L's face on a prison wall. Yours, on the other hand, suits there perfectly."

"_**And**__**, from what I've heard about prisons, your butt."**_

"Now, this seventh guy, I'll get the test results I really want. Mr. Super Sleuth will be too busy trying to figure out the meaning of the picture and note left by those other victims. Of course, they're just there to mess with him."

The next morning rolled around, and Light woke up early and went for breakfast.

"Good morning. You're up early for a Saturday, Light." Sachiko said.

"Morning, mom. I'm going out, so I went to bed early last night."

After finishing breakfast Light grabbed the morning paper and went back to his room.

"_**Got your test results?"**_

Light replied by snapping the newspaper open and showing the page to Ryuk.

_CONVENIENCE STORE ROBBER STABBED TO DEATH BY EMPLOYEE_

"The death note's amazing. It happened precisely the way I described."

Sitting behind his desk he opened the death note and scribbled something into it, whatever it was there was a picture of a wanted drug addict, who failed to rob a bank on his computer screen.

_Nine o'clock. _"It's early, but I'll try a few anyway. I'll take whoever answers."

"Try a few…?"

"Girls. I am gay but I'm firmly in the closet. This may come as a surprise to you, but I'm fairly popular with the fairer sex, Ryuk… Though that's not always a good thing."

After the first call, Light snapped his phone shut and smirked.

"And the fish took the bait."

Later that same day

"_**You're going on a… date?"**_ Ryuk asked, confused.

"Yup. No matter how you look at it, it's just an ordinary date. And that is all the guy behind me is going to see. This is quite normal for me; I used to take random girls on dates from time to time to keep people off my back. Mainly my parents. Although I've never actually enjoyed any one of my dates ever."

"_**What does your sister think**__** about this?"**_

"She wants me to come out, but respects my decisions."

"_**This morning you wrote that junkie's name in your notebook, sayin' you'll find out your shadow's name that way. Whacha gonna do? Make him attack your date?"**_

"Ha? You didn't see the details I wrote?"

"_**I didn't want any spoilers."**_

"Well, in that case, sit back and enjoy. But please remember, I wouldn't set my date's mental health into that much risk."

"Light!"

"Hey, Yuri. Sorry, am I late?"

"Nope, we still have a few minutes before the bus arrives."

The girl latched herself on Light's arm like a tick.

"Gosh, I haven't been to Spaceland since junior high. This is going to be so much fun! Plus I've got you all to myself today.

"Uh, yeah."

Ryuk could see what Light meant when he said he's never enjoyed the dates. The girl looked like a leech that didn't want to let go… at all. Ryuk knew by then that Light wasn't only a closeted

homosexual, but a closeted flaming homosexual, so he could imagine Light didn't particularly appreciate being fawned over by a love-struck girl.

When the bus arrived the pair plus stalker plus Shinigami got on. The ride wasn't anything special, the teens chatted, the shadow listening from the back seat, and the Shinigami just observed. Nothing special happened until a familiar mug entered the bus. He pulled out a pistol and pointed it at the driver's head.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THIS BUS HAS BEEN HIJACKED." He announced loudly. "NO FANCY MOVES, OR I'LL BLOW THEIR FUCKIN' HEADS OFF!"

The man turned back to the bus driver.

"Yo, you. Ya know the Spaceland number, doncha? Call it!"

"Y-yes" the driver stammered.

With one trembling hand he called Spaceland.

"This is Sasaki, driver o-of bus #124." He tried to say coherently into the mouthpiece, and succeeding quite well considering the circumstances he was in.

"Tell 'em what's happenin'." The criminal commanded.

"Th-the bus has been h-hijacked by a man with a g-gun!" The driver hollered desperately.

"GIMME THAT, SHITFACE." The robber grabbed the phone away from the driver. "Ya heard that? Now listen to THIS."

The drug addict went on to explain his demands, threatening to kill everybody if they were not met.

Light wrote Yuri a note and made sure it was seen by his shadow, but not by Nakaokaji (the busjacker).

_Don't worry, Yuri. It'll be okay. I'm going to look for a chance to grab the guy's arm and pin __it down so he can't use the gun. My dad's a detective and he's taught me what to do in situations like these. The guy look's pretty small and weak. I'm sure I can overcome it._

And just like Light had planned:

"Don't. It's too dangerous. Let _me_ take care of it."

There's a good fish, nice and entangled. With a barely suppressed smirk Light started scratching something else on the paper.

"It's okay to talk if we do it quietly. He won't hear us over the engine."

"I don't mean to be rude, but you have a slight accent. You're not a native, are you?" _The_ _accent really suits that voice though; at least I'm not being shadowed by some old fart._

"I'm American, but my mother's Japanese, though." _He looks more Western than Asian, but that look really works for him._

"How do I know you're not an accomplice?"

"A-accomplice?" Yuri whispered, half frozen in fear.

"Fairly common practice. They make you think there's only one, but there's another at the very back, to have the first one's back in case of trouble."

"Oh god, you mean…" Light really didn't mean to scare Yuri that much, but it was necessary.

There was a moment of silence before…

"Here…" there was an ID poked through the two seats. Light took it looked at it.

_FBI! L's using FBI to probe NPA? Yikes, I may be in more trouble than I thought. Raye Penber? Suits a m__an like him, but this means he really is a good guy. As scared as I am getting caught, I can't really kill an innocent person… not only innocent but an asset to justice. Damn, my conscience wouldn't allow this._

"Alright, I'll trust you. And right now I won't ask why an FBI agent is on board this bus. Got a gun?" Light had to consciously stop himself from saying 'loaded gun'. That could be interpreted… correctly.

"Yes I do." Raye whispered back.

_Wanna use it on me?_ Light asked in his head. "So _you'll_ take care of things if something happens?" He said instead.

"Yes." Raye whispered back.

After that they stayed in silence for a few minutes. _Now is a good time_ Light thought and 'accidentally' dropped a piece of paper. He leaned to pick it back up.

"HEY YOU! WHAT'S WITH THAT PIECE OF PAPER! You shitface tryin' somethin' behind my back, HUH!"

Nakaokaji lumbered over and picked it up himself. He looked at it and Light heard Raye shift from behind him. But before he could do anything Nakaokaji threw the note at Light's head.

"Tch, ya were meetin' your date? Drop somethin' again and I'll shoot your prettyboy face, GOT IT?"

_Gotcha_ Light picked up the piece of paper and couldn't hold back a smirk.

"And that goes to everyone! Anyone move and I'll shoot 'em to… WH-WHAT THE BLEEDIN' FUCK? YOU, IN THE BACK! YOU!"

Naturally Raye thought he was being the one addressed, and reached deeper into his pocket. Light knew better, though. It was becoming difficult to suppress laughter as the thief practically pissed himself while pointing his gun at Ryuk.

"YO-YOU! M-MONSTER! HOW L-LONG HAVE YOU BEEN HERE!"

"_**Eh? You're talking to **__**me**__**?"**_ Ryuk asked, pretty confused.

"_**You can see me?"**_ He asked and cocked his head.

"D-DON'T MOVE SHITFACE! I-I'LL SHOOT!"

"He's hallucinating!" Raye caught up to the obvious "EVERYBODY DOWN!" he shouted and everybody did as told.

"_**Oh, I get it."**_ Ryuk said as he glanced at a smirking Light who had thrown himself over Yuri. _**"The piece of paper was from the notebook. This guy touched it and by default can see me. Smart one, Light."**_

_Thank you, Ryuk._ Light said in his mind, pretty pleased with himself as well.

At that moment Nakaokaji fired six bullets into Ryuk. Or tried to, as the bullets pretty much just flew through the Shinigami.

"_**Sorry dude, as a Shinigami mortal weapons are pretty much useless against me."**_

'_**I'm always hovering behind you', 'anyone who touches the death note can see me', 'a Shinigami won't die even if shot or stabbed' are all things I've told Light. Damn, guess he's not Japan's top exam scorer for **__**nothing, after all.**_ Ryuk started laughing.

"He's out of bullets." Raye said and made a run for Nakaokaji, who in turn made a run for the driver whom he grabbed by the shoulders. "Stop the bus! Open the damn doors!"

The driver did as told. Nakaokaji, desperate, jumped out, too panicked to realize he was in the middle of the road. _Screech. Splat._ And that is the end of Nakaokaji Matsushiro.

Light looked at his watch _Exactly 11.45, the death note's right on time, as per usual_ he though.

* * *

**Word count: 5097 (not including side notes and headline)**


	3. Ch3: Theories

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. For one thing it belongs to the Japanese and I'm absolutely European.**

**Summary: What if two factors had been different? What if Light's conscious had been stronger (or ego smaller), and what if he had been gay?**

**Main pairing: L/Light or Light/L, that's still up for debate. But I lean on domineering!uke!Light**

**A/N: This is the last chapter until next year. I will not update before 7****th****, most likely on 8****th****. A bit if ranting: I got two reviews for chapter 1 and three for 2. I'm not one of those author's who bitches about that and starts threatening not to update until I get a certain amount, but I've got to say that kinda sucked. The reviewers said they loved everything, but if you don't like this story please say so as well (unless you're homophobe!).**

**PS: I made a ****mistake**** last chapter- Nakaokaji Matsushiro wasn't the dude that hijacked the bus but the guy who got stabbed and bled to death. I don't feel like fixing that mistake.**

**PPS: My adorable, never quiet, Chihuahua is three years old today!**

**Posted: 24 Dec. 2010, (Merry Christmas!)**

* * *

**Chapter three: Theories.**

* * *

The bus driver and car driver both called the police and paramedics, not really mindful of what other people around them did. Raye didn't do much anything, just stood there and seemed to be contemplating something.

Light came to the bus doors.

"Hey." Raye called for Light.

"Yes?" Light answered.

"I'm actually in Japan on a top secret mission and if the Japanese police… well."

Light nodded "I understand. I won't tell anybody about meeting you. And that includes my father."

Raye sent Light a relieved smile in gratitude.

"I don't want to be here when the police arrives, so I'm leaving." With that Raye turned tail and left.

_I wouldn't want you to be here either. If my father found out L would probably too. This is not the kind of attention I want from him__ at the moment. Raye Penber obviously does not suspect me, and police are going to write down what happened here as a simple accident._

"I know we were all set out to go to Spaceland, but after something as freaky as this…" Light said to Yuri, trying to worm out of the date.

"What are you talking about! We're almost there! We're going. Plus, who wants to get questioned by the police." Yuri exclaimed and practically dragged Light by the arm.

_Oh brother_ Light thought, annoyed, but resigned.

"_**Hyuk, hyuk. Guess **__**women being tough in crises go for humans too."**_ Ryuk wheezed as he floated behind the pair.

_For humans __too__? That's pretty funny, Ryuk. _Light thought and hoped Ryuk felt talkative that day. That would make enduring a date easier.

* * *

That evening, when the date was over, Light and Ryuk were back in the house in Light's room, the door locked as per usual.

"_**So now that you know that agent's name, you're going to write it in?"**_

"No, Ryuk, I cannot do that. I'll buy you some apples as compensation later."

"_**Why won't you kill him? He was stalking you, wasn't he?"**_

"Ryuk, what have I been doing here? I punish _criminals_ and loose sleep over it as it is. If I were to kill an innocent man who, with _those_ looks, probably has someone special or even children of his own. If I just kill an innocent person in cold blood, then I'm just as bad as a real murderer. Besides if I were to kill him now it would practically tell L I'm Kira."

"_**So, you'll let him be?"**_

"He doesn't suspect me in the slightest, but if ever there is a second round of scrutiny, they will be more thorough. _That_ is what annoys me."

"_**So, what do you plan to do now?"**_

Light sent Ryuk a cheeky grin.

"I'm going to mess with L a bit more. There was a hidden message in the 'suicide note' one of my test subjects wrote. I'm going to have another prisoner write a second one, just to build the tension… he he he."

"_**You seem to know how to amuse yourself. But still, you're going to do nothing about the FBI agents?"**_

"I didn't say I will do nothing. I just need to figure out _how_ to expose their presence to NPA."

"_**Why would you want that?"**_

"Ryuk, there are very few people in this world who actually trust each other. L and the police may work together to find me, but they don't trust each other at all. It's next to impossible to trust someone whose face you've never seen, and L knows that NPA doesn't trust him, and by default he doesn't trust them either."

"_**What are you trying to achieve through this? Security?"**_

"That too, a little. But mostly I just want the NPA to find L for me."

* * *

A few days later a police officer had been chasing a purse snatcher and suspected rapist (who had never been admitted because of lack of evidence), whom he actually caught when they barreled into a man with a long coat. The policeman apprehended the man successfully, but while he was at it he noticed a notepad had slipped from the pocket of the man with the long coat. It wouldn't really be a suspicious thing, as some people did carry around notepads (like sketch artists), but he noticed the name of an NPA member, quite high up in the food chain.

The officer didn't ask any questions and chose to escort the criminal to the station. They never managed to question the criminal since he managed to creatively kill himself with toilet paper.

The police officer, still feeling rather suspicious at what he thought he saw, reported the man with a notepad. The fact that the man didn't look Japanese didn't help any.

It turns out that people don't like it when they are told they might be stalked. Especially if they're in a position of power.

This one report brought on a chain of events that lead to the discovery of several people tailing not only members of NPA but their families as well.

* * *

"_**Ho? This is not in the news."**_

"I wouldn't think the NPA would want public to know they were being probed by FBI. So they kept it under wraps."

"_**Who was the agent who you made drop the notepad? Penber?"**_

"I don't actually know. I couldn't very well write Raye's name specifically in the notebook. His face would've probably popped before my eyes as I did and I would've killed him that way. I didn't specify who, just an 'FBI agent sent to probe NPA members and their families'. It was completely random, and it's better that way."

"_**Ho? A week ago was when you last sent L the second message. When are you sending the next **__**one?"**_

"Today."

"_**What are you sending anyway?"**_

"I sent: "L, did you know… Gods of Death… love apples?""

Ryuk started chortling. "At least the crazy one haunting Kira does." Light added with a smirk.

"_**But they're so… juicy!"**_

Light only rolled his eyes.

* * *

A day later Soichiro came home early, and called on a family meeting.

"Why the family meeting, dad? We're not going away somewhere for New Year's, are we?" The ever easygoing Sayu chirped.

"Be quiet, Sayu." Sachiko, however, wasn't in that good a mood that day.

"There's no point in hiding this," Soichiro started "you'll probably end up finding about this anyway. So I'm telling you this now. I'm in charge of the special task force that's investigating the Kira case." He said somberly.

"Wow! I guess I kind of already guessed, but you're amazing, dad." Sayu said in her usual happy-go-lucky tone.

"However, this isn't what I wanted to tell you. There were twelve FBI agents sent from America to conduct their own investigation. Three of them were found dead."

_What? _"You mean killed by Kira?" Light asked; cool as a cucumber, not letting any of his emotion show.

Soichiro didn't say no.

"In other words, anybody trying to apprehend Kira may be killed. Morale is extremely low, and a lot of my detectives are quitting the case. And who can blame them? They're scared of death, and for a good reason. Kira won't kill only criminals but anyone who opposes him, he's cruel and heartless."

"You too, dad! Quit as well! What if he tries to kill you too?" Sayu wailed, for once not smiling.

"She's right. Your life is more important than your career. All you have to do is resign." Sachiko agreed with her daughter.

"No. I'm seeing this case through to the end. I will not succumb to evil." Soichiro said, his voice firm ad determined.

Light stood up from his chair.

"I'm proud of you, dad. You're absolutely right. And if anything happens to you-" Light went towards the door leading out of the room "-I'll **personally** make sure Kira gets the death penalty. You can count on that."

With that Light slammed the door and left for his room.

"_**What was that all about?"**_ Ryuk asked when they were in Light's room.

"Either the three detectives died because they were unfortunate to be picked by a Shinigami, or…" Light's fisted hands started shaking "There's another death note in this world." Light punched his pillow in anger "Either way, my reputation of _only_ delivering justice to those who deserve it is being trashed."

* * *

A day later Light was reading the paper, still feeling strung up from the news he received the day before. Maybe this was why he was feeling so disgusted.

"What are these TV stations thinking? All the new year's eve specials are about Kira. 'Emergency news report- closing in on the Kira case'; 'Analysis- all-night special on L and Kira'. It's completely ridiculous!"

"Says the person who's going to watch them all." Sayu smirked at her brother.

"Actually I'm watching the Sapp-Akebono fight." Light smirked back.

Sayu smirked back at her brother. Light did this every year. He picked the most masculine looking show that came that night and actually spent the time giving himself a manicure-pedicure-facial session.

"Oh, and Sayu, tape the 'Emergency news report' for me, will you?"

"I _knew_ it! You are _so_ going to watch it!" She giggled and Light bonked her head with the now-folded newspaper.

"And now, the dutiful college-bound senior will study until dinner." Light said dramatically and made his way out of the room.

"_**I feel like I'm watching a sitcom."**_ Ryuk laughed.

"Oh, yeah. Hey mom, what about dad?" He asked before leaving.

"No such thing about New Year's Eve for police. No New Years either." She replied sadly.

"Uurghh, I _hate_ Kira, it's all his fault. Dad was home last year."

* * *

New Years Eve rolled by and Light did spend the evening giving himself preening, with Ryuk watching the boxing show and enjoying it thoroughly. Light, however didn't enjoy his grooming session nearly as much as usual. While he was going about his usual business his mind was very much preoccupied by his actions these pas days and his growing fury with the second death note user. Any respect L _may_ have had was out of the window, now. Not only that, he felt like if he wasn't more careful from now on he might have to forfeit the notebook ahead of plan.

* * *

Before he knew it, New Year was here!

Feeling gloomy he volunteered to take a change of fresh clothes to his father, hoping the walk would lighten his somber mood a little.

"Don't forget to call him beforehand." Sachiko reminded before he went on his way. "I know, I know."

But after exiting the subway and trying to call him it went to voicemail _How unusual. Probably in an important meeting, I suppose._ Light entered the building and went straight to the reception desk.

"No it has to be in person. I cannot leave a message." There was a woman already there, insisting on something.

"How many times do I have to tell you this? There isn't anybody in the Kira task force office at the moment." The receptionist replied, a tad irritated.

"I made an appointment with them yesterday. How can this be?"

_Nobody's here, and dad's cell is turned off? This is beyond odd. What exactly is going on? And this lady's being unusually persistent._

Light put the bag containing fresh clothes on the reception desk and said: "I'm Yagami Light, detective superintendent Yagami's son. I brought my father some clean clothes, but I suppose he isn't here? Could you pass these on to him?"

"Oh, Light, nice to see you again." The receptionist seemed to recognize him.

"Um, pardon, all the reception people look the same to me" Light apologized, not really sorry. _Except the cute ones, which this guy's not_ He added vainly in his head.

"Oh, I suppose we are small fry, after all. I was on duty last year during the insurance money murder, too. The one you helped solve." The guy smiled politely.

"Is that so? My apologies, then." Light replied, equally politely. "I write my name here, correct?" With that Light wrote his name in the guest logbook.

"So, are you trying to crack the Kira case too?" The receptionist asked enthusiastically.

"Sure. And if I am on the right track, I may even beat L to it." Light said with a laugh, but wondered if the receptionist actually realized he was joking.

The woman, still insisting to speak to someone personally, wasn't having nearly as easy a time.

"You can trust us. We are still part of the NPA too. We'll get your message to the task force." The receptionist tried to coax her.

"Um, pardon, but…" Light said to get her attention. "My father's head of the task force investigating the Kira case, so if you'd like I could put you in touch with him. His cell phone is turned off, at the moment, so you would have to wait. The task force is quite understaffed at the moment, as a lot of the members have been quitting since the FBI members were murdered."

"Light! This isn't something you should-" the overly friendly receptionist tried to cut him off.

"This is common knowledge. Rumors like this bet by extremely fast." Light justified himself. "Something tells me this woman is trustworthy, plus she's an extremely cautious person. The FBI murders indicate there's probably a leak within NPA, so she isn't taking chances."

The two receptionists didn't know what to say after that. Light lead the woman towards benches.

"My father will call me when he hears my voicemail, if you're willing to wait until then." Light said lightly. "Of course you're going to have to trust me and my father, otherwise it's quite pointless." He said with a cheeky grin.

_**What's with the cheery persona?**_ Ryuk pondered Light's sudden shift in personality.

For a moment the woman was silent. "Is it really okay?" She asked finally.

"I can't give you my father's number, obviously, but I can't see why you can't talk through my phone."

She looked him in the eye before bowing and saying thank you. They took a seat. Light looked around and seemed to see cameras everywhere. This was no good.

"_**You don't kill innocent people, Light. What are you up to?"**_ Ryuk asked, intrigued.

"The way I figure it… Kira has far greater power than people think." Light said quietly and heard the woman suck in a breath.

"I've noticed this too. That is why I'm here."

Ryuk laughed when Light seemed to be genuinely surprised for a moment.

"You as well? That's amazing but… this isn't the place to talk. The NPA may not be the safest place at the moment. Let's step outside."

The two did just that.

"I always take a walk when I don't wish to be overheard. I hope you don't mind." Light said, the woman shook her head.

"The way I see it, Kira…" Light said, but quieted.

_How smart __is__ this woman?_ He pondered.

"Would you mind telling me your name? I'm Yagami Light. Yagami written with kanji for 'night' and 'god'. Light written with kanji for 'lightning' and 'person'.*"

"I'm Maki Shoko. Maki with the kanji for 'between' and 'tree'. Shoko with 'shine' and 'child'."

After she said that Ryuk started hackling a laugh. _What's so hilarious, Ryuk? Well, anyway, time to find out what she knows._

"I think Kira doesn't just kill. I think he can control their actions before they die." _Nothing L doesn't already know_

"That… that's what _I _think, but I didn't realize someone else had…" Shoko exclaimed.

"You believe so, as well?"

"Yes and… if my hunch is correct, Kira can kill by other means than just heart attack."

_Who the hell __**is**__ this woman?_

"I don't think anybody else realized this." She went on "But if the police go by that information, I believe they can catch him."

"It never occurred to me, but if you are correct…" Light said seriously "Kira kills the kills he wants not tied to him by other means. This is troubling."

"Exactly. Also… I'm pretty sure someone I knew met Kira." She said very somberly.

Light let out a slight laugh, even if it hadn't much humor in it "Sorry, but you'll probably have pretty hard time convincing the police that. If you say that to the police, they probably not even believe any other hunch you have."

"That is why I have to explain everything in detail and in person."

"But if that's true, shouldn't your friend be the one talking?"

"He can't. He was one of the killed FBI agents." Shoko said, her voice riddled with suppressed sadness. "He was also my fiancé."

Light stopped walking _She's not talking about…?_

"He told me he got mixed up in a bus hijacking. But I believe Kira was actually on that bus."

Shoko stopped walking and turned around, noticing that her companion had stopped moving "What's the matter?" she inquired.

Light gulped "Was your fiancé… Raye Penber?"

Shoko's deer-in-the-headlights look was all the info Light needed.

"I knew three of the twelve agents died, but I didn't think _he_…"

"How did you know Raye?"

"I was on a date when there was a bus hijacking. Raye was sitting right behind us and saw me pass a note to my date, telling her to calm down and that I would take care of it. He told me not to risk myself and that he'd take care of it himself."

"That doesn't explain how you know his name." Shoko looked very suspicious.

"_**Seriously, Light, what are you doing?"**_ the Shinigami was confused, but seemed to be enjoying the folding events.

"To prove he wasn't an accomplice he had to show me an ID."

"You didn't think it was odd that an FBI agent…"

"Of course I did, at first. But I had suspected there was a leak in NPA, for some days, so I theorized L had sent agents from abroad to investigate the NPA members and their families. Was I correct?"

Shoko nodded her head.

"You don't seem very mad."

"I'm not really. If I was L, I probably would've done the same thing. Of course the idea of someone watching my every move is unnerving, but I don't have anything to hide. Well nothing illegal, at least." Light sent Shoko a wink, and she cracked a weak smile.

"I'm really sorry to hear about your fiancé. He seemed like a very fine man."

"He was." Shoko said quietly as she looked at her feet.

"So, you think Kira was in that busjacking? What made you come to that conclusion?"

Shoko looked at Light for a moment, and then her gaze turned to look at her surroundings.

"Actually, going by the theory I had, _you _are Kira." She said uncertainly.

"_**Aren't you in a pinch now? Y'know, we can do the eye deal at any moment."**_ Ryuk laughed behind Light.

_Eye deal? Shit this woman is actually smarter than I originally thought. She gave me an alias. I have to tread carefully._

Light took 'Shoko' by her shoulders and forced her to look at him.

"I can swear to you, I'm not. It's true that I sometimes think that the world would be a better place without some people in it, but most people think that too. But I could never kill anyone cold blooded like Kira does. Kira's naïve and believes he can rid the world of evil like a child who still sees everything in black and white. Trust me, I want him sent to death for his crimes just like you do. Besides, if I was Kira I would've killed you already."

That 'Shoko' was willing to admit she thought Light was Kira was already a sign her faith had wavered. But Light still had to make sure the flames were really harmless.

"That aside, I would still like to hear your theories. What made you think Raye met Kira? Aside that he and two others…?" Light didn't have to finish the uncomfortable sentence.

"The busjacker was a killer wanted for holding up a bank two days earlier. He died when he was run over by a car. Eight hours before that, another wanted criminal tried to rob a convenience store and was stabbed to death. Two wanted criminals committed crimes on the same day, and died in the scene of the accident. I found that a bit unusual. Eight days later my fiancé and two of his colleagues, both of whom were on his team, died of heart attacks. I was sure the convenience store robber and busjacker were used to murder those FBI agents. Do you think it was just a coincidence?"

'Shoko' took a breath, trying to calm herself, worrying she might've misinterpreted everything.

"The convenience store robber could've been used as practice for the busjacker's death. And the busjacking was a ruse to get information on the FBI from my fiancé. That used to be my theory."

Shoko turned to look at Light, waiting for his opinion.

"I remember reading about the store robber bleeding to death after being stabbed by the clerk. I was present for the busjacking, but that made the papers as well. I remember the man suddenly stared hallucinating and emptied his caliber into the rear window. So, one criminal stabbed by _another_ person, but with his own knife, and bleeding to death. And the second criminal getting hit by a car, after hallucinating and emptying his gun. No innocent person getting physically hurt."

Light seemed to be thinking about something.

"I don't think you should discard the idea just yet. The circumstances still look a tad odd. I think Kira might've been testing how far he can push his limits. How far he can manipulate the victim and the people around them."

'Shoko' shuffled her feet.

"I'm disappointed in myself. I used to be and FBI agent myself."

_Damn, that explains a lot._

"Your fiancé just died, miss Maki. Your judgment is being clouded by grief. Still, I think your deductions have been amazing. However, this brings to question, _what_ tipped off your fiancé and his colleagues."

"With regard to this case, I decided it would be dangerous to trust the police, or even the task force. But L has my complete trust, I hoped that by going to the task force office and having them verify my identity I could talk to L personally. I am sure he would listen since I worked with him one, two years ago."

"I see, but in that case why did you share with me what should've been for L's ears only?"

"I was upset they wouldn't let me through, and then a person claiming to be the task force chief's son shows up. And that person- very strongly reminded me of L. I feel that you and he are very similar somehow."

Try as he might, Light simply couldn't retain his complete cool after hearing that. A blush spread through his cheeks rapidly and he gave a sheepish laugh.

"Are you alright?" 'Shoko' asked, puzzled by the sudden change of personality.

"L has been my role model since before I was ten. When someone who knows your idol and tells you you remind them of said idol, you tend to get embarrassed, in a good way."

The pair continued to walk, this time in silence. Both were in deep thought, granted their thoughts were completely different.

"I think I'll start heading back now, someone might've returned." 'Shoko' suddenly said.

"Ah, yes. I'll escort you."

"You don't have to."

"It is fine, my father may call. Also, I have another theory that's been in my mind since your fiancé's death. I wasn't very sure of it, and now that I've heard yours I'm even less so. But I'd still like to tell it to you and hear your thoughts on it."

'Shoko' slowed her already slow pace and waited for Light to continue.

"_**Mhuh? Going to dissuade her even further now?"**_

"It makes more sense if Kira couldn't kill with means other than a heart attack, but still, I got the feeling that the person who killed the agents wasn't Kira at all."

'Shoko' gasped and stared at Light incredulously.

"_**Eh? You're actually helping?"**_ Ryuk was chuckling, still amused, and still confused.

"I know you may not like that theory, but please hear me out." Light said before she could get word in.

"So far Kira had killed criminals only. Anyone with some affinity to snooping around could've found out who's investigating the Kira case, but none of those detectives are dead. Including my father." Light said and sighed.

"But suddenly, he feels like he should kill three FBI agents that weren't even part of the investigation since the beginning." Shoko nodded, urging Light to go on.

"Also, I don't mean to pat Kira on the back, but he's smart. I mean he's managed to evade L for over a month, without giving him too much to work with. And finally, this might sound cruel, but I don't think Kira would be as sloppy as kill just three. If he's willing to kill innocents I doubt he's going to save any expenses either."

Light and 'Shoko' stood in silence for a moment.

"Your theory… makes some sense, Light. Like mine it might not be true, but still worth looking into at the very least." She finally said quietly.

"Yes, it's unfortunate, but until there's real evidence a lot of detective work is guess work." Light said nostalgically. 'Shoko' smiled nostalgically.

"Of course, if he's been able to kill without anyone knowing about it, his conscience has always been as black as cosmos."

Light took his phone from his pocket.

"Ah, my father's phone is back on. Would you like to make the call now?"

'Shoko' nodded her head.

"_Light? Is something wrong?"_ Soichiro asked through the line.

"Hey, dad, I originally called because I brought you some clean set of clothes, but you weren't there. But now there's a woman here who may have useful information for the case. She insisted on speaking directly to a task force member."

Suddenly someone else seemed to be on the phone.

"_Hello. Could you put her on, please_?" It was a male, younger than Soichiro by the sound of it.

"Um, who is this?" Light asked, feeling a little weird that someone would just take his father's phone with no signs of protests heard.

"_A member_ _of the Kira investigation team; who exactly isn't very important right now. May I speak with this woman please_?"

"Um, may I get conformation from my father you're trustworthy first?" Light asked.

The only one who could outrank his father like that was L personally, and the idea of his father being in L's presence personally was a bit outlandish. But still, that brought up the question why nobody seemed to be in the headquarters.

There was slight rustling and soon Soichiro's voice came through the speaker again.

"_Light, you can fully trust the person you just spoke with_." He said firmly.

Light gave the phone to 'Shoko'.

"Uh, it's not my father, but someone they both insist you speak to instead. My father insists he's trustworthy"

'Shoko' looked a little suspecting but still took the offered phone.

"Hello." She said a little hesitantly.

"…My fiancé was one of the murdered FBI members… I used to be an FBI member myself and worked with L two years ago, he knows me… Misora Naomi."

After that there was silence for a long moment. Then she gave the phone back to Light, a look of confusion on her face.

"Yes?" Light said to the speakerphone.

"_Light, please take Miss Misora to the Imperial Hotel. I'll be waiting there."_ Soichiro told his son.

"Uh, sure?" Light replied, uncertainly.

"_How soon will you reach here?"_

"It's less than 10 minute walk away from where we are now." Light said, still feeling a little uncertain.

Light put away his phone. 'Shoko', who Light now knew was really 'Naomi', looked for an explanation.

"My father asked me to escort you to the Imperial Hotel to meet him personally."

Waiting for no other explanation, Naomi turned tail and started walking briskly by herself.

"Didn't you find it odd, though?" Light asked when he caught up with her.

"What?"

"That no one was in the bureau? And now my father wants to meet you in a hotel barely five minute walk away from there?"

"I did find it strange, but I didn't think much of it. What do you think?"

"My father is the head of the detectives working on this case, but I didn't hear him, or anyone, protest. The only one who would outrank my father like that is L himself."

"You don't think…?"

"The only way that was possible is if L was desperate enough to personally reveal himself to the remaining group of detectives."

"I don't like how that indicates how badly this case is really going."

"I agree." Light frowned. "We're almost there, miss Maki. Or would you prefer miss Misora, now?"

Naomi looked a little startled at Light's question.

"That is you real name, correct? I figured a cautious woman like you wouldn't give out her real name, considering all major criminals whose names are unknown or reported incorrectly are still alive. Plus Misora Naomi is what you told through my phone. Was my deduction incorrect?"

Naomi shook her head.

"No, you're right. I'm sorry, but I'm certain Kira needs a name as well as face. I couldn't risk anybody."

"That's alright. I would've done the same myself to a total stranger, but I already revealed my identity when I gave my father's clothes to the reception. Though, I didn't actually give you the correct way to spell my name. We're here." Light winked at Naomi again and she smiled ever so slightly.

The two stopped in front of the Imperial Hotel and Light took a look around.

"My father's over there."

Naomi turned to see a bespectacled man with a thick mustache. Her professional eye immediately saw the familiar facial lines the man shared with his young son that most people would've otherwise dismissed.

The man studied her face carefully before nodding in satisfaction.

"We will listen to you upstairs, miss Misora. Thank you, Light, you can go home now."

Light nodded.

"Thank you, Light. I'll go now." Naomi said and made to leave with Soichiro.

"Wait. Are you planning to tell L your original theory?"

Naomi turned to look at Light.

"I'm not sure there's much point to that, don't you think?"

"Still, I think you should include that as well. There may be a small clue you and I missed."

Naomi nodded "You're right."

"Also," Light glanced towards his father "if my father is mad I didn't tell him anything, tell him I promised Raye not to." Naomi nodded again, but now Soichiro looked between them suspiciously.

"Didn't tell me what, son?" He asked Light.

"She will explain everything to you, dad."

With that they parted ways.

"_**So, what was that all about? You might as well offer yourself on a silver platter."**_ Ryuk inquired after they had put some distance between the hotel.

"It's called hiding behind truth, Ryuk. I will probably be temporarily put under scrutiny for awhile. But the more useful theories I provide and enthusiasm show, the less likely it is I am Kira. Without my direct confession, or death note they cannot catch me."

"_**Oh, is that what you did?**__**"**_

"Also, I want to find the fake Kira, and punish him for the crimes he's committed. Raye had a fiancé, and I'm certain those other two agents had close loved ones, as well."

There was a seriously scary look in Light's eyes as he said that. Ryuk almost felt sorry for the poor sucker.

* * *

Four Days Later

* * *

"_**You okay, Light? You've barely slept these past four days, too busy writing names of criminals into your death note? Honestly trying to get rid of it within the week?"**_

"So what if I haven't been sleeping well for awhile? I just have to make sure it doesn't show outwardly when it really matters. A bigger concern for me is that it definitely works if the date is before the end of their predestined lifetime, right?"

"_**Don't really know. Shinigami don't use the death note like that, so I can't say for sure. Though common sense says yes."**_

Light sighed, exasperated and annoyed.

"You're not much help, are you?"

"_**Nope"**_ the Shinigami said with no compromises. He looked over Light's shoulder and studied the death note more closely _**"Why're ya scheduling the deaths weeks in advance, anyway?"**_

"Just in case, Ryuk. For example: if there was an accident and I went to the hospital for a week the killings would stop. That would raise some uncomfortable questions. And I definitely couldn't rely on you to help me out in that case."

"_**Good point."**_ Ryuk replied, shrugging.

_Since new year started no new info whatsoever about the case has entered my dad's computer. Combined with the fact that no one was in the office the other day indicates that there have been some major changes. I can't be sure, but I think it might be __by L's orders. Whatever the case, I have to make sure my computer's clean no matter who looks at it._

After Light was done with the computer he thought about any more insurance he could give himself.

_I need to hi__de a scrap of death note somewhere no one would suspect anything. What do I always have on me? … My wallet._

In no time at all Light had whipped out a small sewing kit and after a few snips a piece of death note's paper was literally hidden inside Light's wallet.

"_**You can sew? Bet the ladies love you." **_Ryuk commented.

"I am, but sewing's got nothing to do with that. Looks are just about the all that counts." Then Light sent a smirk towards Ryuk.

"You aren't popular with women, Ryuk?"

"_**Bet boys like it **__**too."**_

Light only Rolled his eyes.

* * *

***The **_**Death Note**_** authors said that 'Raito' is written with kanji for 'moon'. That is bogus and not really the proper way to actually pronounce the kanji, it's just something they made up for the manga. It holds true for this story as well. Light's name is still written as 'tsuki' (moon), he just said the incorrect way to spell it on purpose.**

**Word count: 5107**


	4. Ch4: Buggie! And Panda

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. For one thing it belongs to the Japanese and I'm absolutely European.**

**Summary: What if two factors had been different? What if Light's conscious had been stronger (or ego smaller), and what if he had been gay?**

**Main pairing: seme!L/domineering!uke!Light**

**A/N: So in the last chapter I said I will post in January. Umm, well here's my excuse: Two days before my vacation abroad ended I got sick. As in so sick I haven't been like that in years. I think my fever actually hit 40C at one point (a person's internal organs start to shut down/cook themselves at 42C). I'm telling you, flying in an airplane with a fever and a super clogged up nose is not something I ever want to repeat again (and to prove what a bitch karma can be my period started as well). So after I arrived home I didn't get immediately writing, since I was honestly not feeling up to it. So after my illness subsided I discovered that I had just lost interest in writing this. But don't worry I'm back now.**

**PS: my hols I will remember as the worst I've ever had.**

**PPS: I went to Venezuela.**

**Posted: 19 Feb. 2011**

* * *

**Chapter four: Buggie!**

January eight started out like any other day. Light got up, washed, brushed (preened, primped and a million other things) and left for school. There was nothing out of ordinary about that day. Light was walking home and talking to his two acquaintances from school, discussing the crime rate, and Ryuk was floating behind the three.

When Light got to his house he made a comment that it's not too late to send him a New Year's card, to which he got a laugh and a reply that the guy only sends cards to girls. Light laughed lightly, but pouted slightly when his back was turned.

Light pulled the doorknob only to realize it was locked. He rang the bell, but no one answered. _Guess no one's home_ he thought while taking out his key and unlocking the door.

Yes, nothing was out of the ordinary about that day… until Light got to his room's door.

"_**Ne, Light. Since nobody's home, how about we play a game of Mario golf?" **_Ryuk asked as Light entered his room.

Light did not answer, or even look at Ryuk. He just plopped himself on the bed.

"_**Hee~y Light, let's play Mario golf!" **_The Shinigami whined, but Light continued ignoring him.

Ryuk started to get a little annoyed when Light took off his school jacked and put on his outwear jacket, all the while not once acknowledging Ryuk's existence.

"_**Where are we going, Light?" **_Ryuk asked once they left the house.

"_**What's with the cold shoulder? I'm starting to get annoyed. Lii~ght?"**_

While Ryuk started to do some weird boogie-dance behind Light's back to get his attention, Light checked his jacket's crevices to make sure it had no hidden bugs _Looks like this jacket's clean._

"There might be hidden cameras or microphones in the house." He said finally.

"_**Mhuh?" **_Ryuk said, mid dance.

"Probably both, actually." He added as an afterthought.

Ryuk stopped wiggling bizarrely and put himself in a straight position again.

"_**So, **__**that's**__** why you were ignoring me."**_ Ryuk said _**"Wait a minute! That slip of paper was still there."**_ He realized.

"That's just a decoy. What I really check is the handle."

"_**Mhuh?"**_ Ryuk cocked his head, eagerly waiting for an explanation.

Light explained how he slightly pushed the handle down after exiting the room, and how he used a piece of mechanical pencil coal on top of the door hinge.

"The handle was up **and** the coal was broken. The fact that the slip of paper was back in place is what worries me. If it was my mother or sister they probably wouldn't have noticed, and not replaced it after leaving." He took a sigh "Whoever it was at least they didn't find the notebook, otherwise my desk would be melted."

The pair walked into a bookshop.

"_**Going to buy books on surveillance and bugging to study up on it?"**_

"Not quite, Ryuk."

A slight smirk made an appearance on Light's lips.

"By the way, what about your apples, Ryuk?"

"_**Ha?"**_

"I can see you, so it doesn't look weird or anything, but what about regular people?"

"_**Yipes!" **_the Shinigami seemed to start sweating all of a sudden _**"Once it's in my belly, no mouth, it should be okay. However, when I'm holding it, it looks like an apple's floating midair."**_

"Shinigami don't die, right? So I can stop giving you apples."

Light's back was to Ryuk so he wasn't able to see the devious devilish smirk Light had.

"_**H-hey now Light! Apples for me are like tobacco or liquor is like to humans! I'll go through withdrawal when deprived."**_ He moaned sadly.

"What are the symptoms?" Light asked dispassionately.

"_**I do handstands and twist myself into a pretzel."**_

Light nearly sweat dropped "I'd rather not see that. You're ugly as it is."

"_**With the cameras you can give L a show."**_ Ryuk verbally poked back.

A very faint blush spread on Light's cheeks. Ryuk was right. He had to act like nothing was wrong, so showing a bit of skin was inevitable.

"By the way, how far can you go from me, Ryuk?"

"_**What do you mean?"**_

"Well, you're always floating behind me, unless I boot you to the next room while I shower. So being in the same room as me isn't completely necessary. How far away from me _can_ you go?"

"_**Hmm, I think maybe **__**a few mile radius. But only temporarily."**_

"What's the time limit?"

"_**No idea."**_

_A few minutes are__ enough._

"About your apples, Ryuk." Ryuk floated closer, not wanting to miss anything Light said next "If you want to keep eating them you'll have to find out _if_ there are cameras. If you do find some, you'll have to find _all_ of their locations."

"_**Hee? Why me?" **_Ryuk pouted, pointing his sharp, pointy finger at himself, looking like a young adolescent being given extra chores.

"Well, I have to play my part of a serious student, getting ready for college exams. _You_, my dear invisible roommate, are free to do whatever you please. Cameras these days are wireless, with tiny lenses, and easy to hide. However, if you cover the lens it can't fulfill its purpose anymore. Locate all of the cameras, and with luck, there might be a blind spot where you can eat your apples. And if there are none I can stand in front of the camera or move something in front of it."

Ryuk hummed, suddenly starting to think this whole ordeal might actually be fun.

"Bugs can be easily found with a detector, which I can buy, but I cannot use it with cameras following my moves. Don't worry about them staying too long. If it gets too long I'll just 'find' one and have my dad remove them. Of course for that too I need to know where they are."

"_**Um, I'm not on your side, or L's."**_ Ryuk started uncertainly.

"So?" Light replied, not even sparing Ryuk a glance.

"_**But, I guess it would be a pain to go wit**__**hout apples, and even worse to be in your room with you ignoring me all the time."**_

"Thank you, Ryuk. You're a lot more honest than any human I know."

"_**Alright, camera hunt. Sounds like fun."**_

They arrived back home.

Light took off his shoes and went upstairs. The slip of paper that _should_ have been between the wall and the door was lying innocently on the floor. He paused and glared at the small piece of paper. With an annoyed sigh he hurried into his room with a sudden sprint.

Sayu was sprawled on his bed; with one of his –ahem- _special_ magazines open before her.

_Sonuva…!_

"Beautiful, Sayu. Just gorgeous." Light said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, an angry look on his face.

Light kicked his door shut and locked it, even though no one else was home.

"Aw, come on, Light! What's the point of having a gay older brother, if you can't take advantage of it?" She said sheepishly.

"Your _closeted_ gay older brother, where he's _very_ comfortable, thank you very much. What would you have done if mom would've walked in, or worse, dad?"

Sayu laughed sheepishly again and scratched the back of her head.

"No one was home."

"_I_ came home, and you didn't hear me! Jeez, Sayu, next time lock the damn door, that way you can play the 'annoying-nosy-sister-going-through-her-brother's-stuff' card. Or better yet, go to your own room. You _are_ a teenager already, after all! Christ, use your brain for once."

Light probably wouldn't have been that angry at Sayu otherwise, but this little ordeal might've outed him to Soichiro. He was hoping to avoid it, but he _had_ been mentally preparing himself if something like this happened.

"Did you get new material?" Sayu tried to change the subject, and the bookbag in his arm was as good a distraction as any.

Light sighed, trying to calm himself. No point getting all pissy over something inevitable.

"No, new decoys. Here, help me prep it. It's the least you can do for me."

Light opened the brown paper bag and took out the dirty magazines.

"Aah, the infamous bikini models." Sayu said dramatically.

Light rolled his eyes and grabbed one of the magazines and started bending their spines, not even sparing a glance at the contents.

"You could just come out. That way I could say I stole one of my brother's favorite magazines." Sayu said innocently and picked up one of the magazines and started bending it too, but she sometimes glanced at the various bikinis and shoes the models wore.

"How many times have we had this conversation, Sayu?" Light sighed.

"I don't get it. Why do you insist on living like this? Mom and dad don't even _know_ you. The _real_ you."

"Mom and dad see me as perfect. _Perfect_ doesn't like its own gender." Light said dispassionately.

"Light. You'll never be happy like that."

"Why not? I've told you what I plan on doing with my future."

"Yes, you'll either stay single till death, or marry some star struck girl, who's probably busy with her own career, or determined to have an army of babies. Meanwhile you'll be too busy with your own job to pay her much attention. I don't see how that could work, Light."

"Why not? Dad's doing it."

Sayu pouted.

"What about sex?"

Light sent his sister an intense look.

"You actually want to talk about _that_?"

"Dad loves mom. At least he does her whenever he has the time."

"Sayu! Where'd you pick up that kind of language? It's our _parents_ you're talking about. It's disturbing in so many levels."

"Doesn't change the fact that it's true."

Light sighed again, exasperatedly.

"Gay men have suppressed their urges and slept with women since the beginning of time. I don't see why I can't do the same." He said emotionlessly, and continued bending magazines, though a bit harsher than before.

"What if you can't control your desires after it becomes too much?" Sayu pressed on, determined to make her brother crack.

"I'll be discreet."

"Light! Seriously?" Sayu threw her own magazine away, scandalized.

"What of it? Don't ask questions if you don't want to know the answers."

Sayu looked her brother straight in his eyes.

"I think you should tell mom and dad."

"The world already has one person who gives people heart attacks. It doesn't need another."

Light sighed (he seemed to be doing it a lot today) and decided the magazine spines were stretched out enough.

He picked up the homoerotic magazine and hid it deep in his bookcase, along where all the others were. Then he put a few random geography books in front of them, then the decoy dirty magazines, and finally other random schoolbooks.

"It's my own fault. I've lived my life without a fault up until now. I can't change." Light said quietly.

"You can live your life the way you want it." Sayu said seriously.

Light didn't say anything.

* * *

When L first discovered Kira's case he was truly intrigued. Mental stimulation was his biggest joy, but in a world where you're possibly the smartest person alive it's hard to find a truly challenging case. So when he discovered the highly mindboggling mystery that was the mass murderer he felt a perverse sort of excitement. Not that he condoned with murder, or any other crime subclass, he just likes anything that can give him a serious mental workout. And boy does this case make him break a mental sweat.

Ever since the stunt he pulled with Mr. Tailor he knew for absolute certainty that this is going to be the most thrilling case he will ever come across in his lifetime. And that was just because of the supernatural subtext the mystery had. But then it became clear that Kira doesn't only have supernatural powers to take a person's life, but he also is exceptionally bright. L was truly starting to believe that he had met his match, but that didn't mean he was going to lose. Absolutely not!

L also had never met an opponent that could get under his skin like Kira had. The three suicide notes, for example. He had avidly followed completely bogus clues, whose only goal was ultimately his taunting.

The worst of it all was that even though he had been working on the case for over a month, he still did not have a single suspect. Sure he had narrowed it down from world to Japan to Kanto region to student, but he still had no individuals!

Then there were the deaths of the FBI agents. Three precious lives. Not only that, but his little private investigation onto NPA members' personal lives came about. But the absolute worst was that he was forced to show his face, something he had never had any need of doing before.

The agents' lives weren't thrown away completely in vain, however. A squad of agents was killed by Kira, so it was safe to assume that one of the three came in contact with, and was discovered by Kira. Now the real question is, is Kira one of the people that was under surveillance, or did Kira discover the agents by pure chance?

Then arrived another interesting twist of this tale. Naomi Misora: the betrothed of one of the deceased FBI agents, and an ex-agent herself.

She brought in some fresh ideas, some quite disturbing, but that made sense. But besides that, she had interesting theories from the detective superintendent's son. From the quick research L had done he already knew that the boy was intelligent, and that he had helped NPA with few cases in the past. But was the youngling really that smart, or was it something else entirely.

Either way, the probability that Kira was in one of the seven families the three agents probed was all they had, and with a few guilt trips it was decided that they will make a complete survey of all seven families, with cams and bugs and all that jazz, for approximately seven days each. However, since they were short handed, and L really didn't trust anyone else to not miss an important detail, it was decided they would do things agent-by-agent, and not upload the cameras in all the houses at the same time. They started with the two families probed by Raye Penber.

Due to sentimental reasons, and to avoid awkward moments between members, the only ones allowed to view the Yagami household cameras were Soichiro Yagami and L personally.

So here they were. Sitting (Soichiro normally, and L with his knees to his chest) on chairs, with only one of them comfortable, and looking at installed cameras at the Yagami household.

The first one to arrive in the house was Soichiro's son, Light, and also the one that L held the most interest in (which was something Soichiro already knew, and felt extremely uncomfortable about).

"According to the guy who installed the cameras, he's checking if anyone goes into his room while he's away." L mentioned absently "Other than that his room held nothing suspicious."

Nothing unusual was observed as Light plopped himself on the bed for a while before exchanging his school jacket for an everyday jacket. Light then exited his room, and placed a small slip of paper between his door and the wall. Soichiro was mildly surprised.

"So he is. I didn't realize he went to such lengths. Might there be something in there that he doesn't want anyone to see?" He asked L, feeling uncomfortable.

And considering his son seemed to be L's nr 1 suspect, at the moment the discomfort and worry was only natural.

"Well, considering he's 17 it isn't at all that unusual. I myself have done it for no reason at all." L spared a glance towards the older man "Also, since your son has shown interest in the Kira case and is following it closely, have you ever shared any sort of information with him whatsoever?"

Soichiro looked both startled and slightly offended.

"Of course not! Even though I did tell them I was heading the task force, I would never _ever_ divulge confidential police information! Besides, I've hardly had time to be home since the case started, and when I am mostly all I do is sleep." That last tidbit seemed to sadden the slightly graying man.

"Alright." L said, finding no reason to press further.

About ten minutes or so the daughter, Sayu, came home. She hollered loudly that she was home and didn't seem at all put out when no one answered. She threw her bookbag into her room and skipped to the kitchen to eat a tangerine. Then the proverbial light bulb seemed to ignite above her head. With a devious look she snuck upstairs and into her older brother's room, imitating a cartoon sneak-walk while doing it as well, all the while grinning a devious smile.

"Sayu…" Soichiro sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, not at all liking the mischief his daughter was up to.

L didn't comment, finding this behavior to be more than normal for a 14-year old. However the magazines she fished out from a very specific part of the bookcase probably were not. L spared a glance at the chief when he heard him suck in a breath, an expression of complete disbelief (and denial) on his face. For a while he moved his lips, as if trying to say something.

"What are those magazines…?" He finally said after finding his voice again.

"I would have to say homoerotic pieces of pictures and arti-"

"That was a rhetorical question!" Soichiro nearly shouted, angrily "My son is _not…_" He couldn't even bring himself to finish the sentence.

L almost felt nearly guilty. Digging up _these_ kinds of skeletons from this family's closet was not what he was after, but Soichiro should've known that there would be no secrets in front of cameras. Looks like it wasn't L he should've been worrying about seeing something forbidden (forbidden as in nakedness, not Kiraness, of course).

L summoned Watari and asked him to bring Soichiro a glass of water.

"Looks like you might find some answers, Mr. Yagami." L said, voice devoid of emotion like usual, as Light reentered the house.

Soichiro turned back to the TVs, sure that there was a rational explanation why there were magazines of these types in his son's room. Maybe Sayu liked to stash things she didn't want found in her own room (and denial isn't just a river in Egypt).

L watched, interested, as Light's expression darken once he noticed the slip of paper on the floor instead of in between the door and wall. _Confrontations, those are always fun_ he thought to himself, feeling a wee bit unprofessional.

"_Beautiful, Sayu. Just gorgeous."_ The attractive youth said, not looking amused.

"_Aw, come on, Light! What's the point of having a gay older brother, if you can't take advantage of it?"_ The sheepish girl replied and in one sentence destroyed the blissful denial of the father of an apparently-gay-son.

"_Your __closeted__ gay older brother, where he's __very__ comfortable, thank you very much. What would you have done if mom would've walked in, or worse, dad?"_

"My son is a homo!" Came a wail next to L, momentarily distracting him.

"Which is something one does not actually have any control over, and thus is unchangeable, no matter what some people say or do. Crying over it does it no good, and neither will it change anything." L said in his usual tone of voice, annoyed at the man's unprofessionalism, even though it was understandable and even expected.

At least the distraught man stopped wailing, and forced himself to concentrate on his children, who were now folding ordinary dirty mags nonchalantly. Soichiro found himself almost wishing his son had brought a prostitute home. Anything would be better.

"_I don't get it. Why do you insist on living like this? Mom and dad don't even __know__ you. The __real__ you."_

They went on with the conversation, making Soichiro feel worse and worse. But one thing that really struck with him, and it didn't have anything to do with his only son preferring his own gender.

"_Yes, you'll either stay single till death, or marry some star struck girl, who's probably busy with her own career, or determined to have an army of babies. Meanwhile you'll be too busy with your own job to pay her much attention. I don't see how that could work, Light."_

"_Why not? Dad's doing it."_

Was he really that career oriented? Would he have had realized before what his son was keeping a secret if he had been home more often? What if's and different scenarios started chasing each other around in his head, and before he knew it he had a headache.

L realized that Soichiro was too much in shock and missed a big portion of the conversation. It was a good thing that the had everything on tape, because he was going to force the Yagami patriarch to watch the conversation later when he's calmed down and not in shock any more. Maybe it was because he was guilty for outing a son to his father in such a harsh way, but he hoped that this conversation the two siblings had (which was unusually enlightening) would be enough to make the father accept his son for what he is. And if not, Light seemed to already have his live roughly drafted.

Hours later the Yagamis sat down for dinner.

"_Not another music program. Watch the news every once in a while, Sayu."_ Light said as he arrived in the dining area.

"_Not when Hideki's on, absolutely not! He's gorgeous. Why don't you like anybody?"_ Sayu whined back happily.

L watched the almost comically clean family interaction. It was almost hard to believe what kind of relationship the siblings had behind closed doors and in front of people. Apparently both were brilliant actors (and liars). L grabbed a transceiver.

"Aizawa, are the Kitamuras watching the news right now?" He asked and got an affirmative.

Without even taking his eyes from the screen he called Watari and told him to have all the TV stations run the news special.

Back at the family dinner it was Sayu who called out on the bulletin.

**INTERPOL TO SEND TOTAL OF 1,500 DETECTIVES FROM**

**VARIOUS COUNTRIES TO JAPAN TO HELP SOLVE KIRA CASE**

"_1500 detectives, wow." _Sayu was awestruck, but her brother was anything but.

"_Interpol's such an idiot"_

"_Ha?"_

"_What's the point if they're going to announce it like this? They should keep quiet about it and let the detectives work in secret. The FBI agents were here incognito, and still three of them died. If Kira actually knew about the 1500, I shudder to think what he would do."_

"_Ooh. Right. Smart as ever, Light."_

"_Which is why I bet it isn't even true. This is just a ruse to put pressure on Kira, but it's kinda obvious, though. I think Kira would figure that out too."_

L bit his thumb. Light's deduction was just as he expected it to be.

"Your son _is_ very intelligent…" He said so quietly Soichiro almost didn't hear him.

"Y-yes, well…" He mumbled back.

Absolutely nothing noteworthy happened that evening afterwards.

* * *

Light woke up the next morning, feeling as well rested as he ever had since he picked up the death note. One thing he definitely missed was a _really_ good night's sleep. The nightmares he's had the first few weeks had loosened up since, but his rest was never as fitful as it used to be.

The day before, aside from letting L (and possibly his father) know that he's gay, nothing had really happened. After eating dinner he did his homework, cleaned up, and went to bed. The small news bulletin stunt no doubt L pulled was a cute. It made him laugh internally.

Hours later he was walking in the street, Ryuk following him by hopping on one foot and twisting his arms around his body.

"Are you certain nobody's following me?" He asked quietly.

"_**You are definitely not being followed."**_ The Shinigami replied.

"And you aren't just saying that because you want an apple?"

"_**Hey, I flew above ya a whole bunch of times. I am positive."**_

"You sure, the news bulletin did say…"

"_**You **__**know**__** they were just bluffing! You're the one who said that they would've snuck 'em in, not announce it!" **_The hobbling Shinigami groused.

"Alright, Ryuk. I will buy you an apple." Light said after a pause, just to tease the death god more.

"_**Yayz!"**_ Said death god cheered like a little five-year-old.

After the apples were bought, Light went into a park and sought out an unpopulated area for privacy. He held out an apple and let the Shinigami gobble it down.

"_**Man, the way you treat Shinigami. First the camera thing, then 'forget eating apples in the house'. In the end I really **__**am**__** going to write your name in my death note."**_ The monster complained childishly, making Light snigger.

"_**Another apple!"**_ Ryuk demanded, since he saw Light buying a bunch.

"Nope." The human replied, a sly smirk on his lips.

"_**Mhuh?"**_

"I think I want to eat the rest myself."

The look on Ryuk's face was truly priceless.

"_**W-wait a minute, Light. You're not actually that cruel to eat them in front of me and deprive me of any!"**_ He wailed.

"Wee~ll… maybe I'm not… but maybe I am."

"_**Li~ght."**_ The Shinigami practically sobbed.

"But I suppose I _could_ give you the entire bag. And then buy you some extra too… But I'm not sure I want to."

"_**Light, don't be so mean."**_ Ryuk was starting to feel really bullied.

"Have you ever heard of the human saying 'you've got to give to get'?"

Ryuk cocked his head, thinking _**"Maybe"**_ He replied finally.

"I will give you this bag now, and some more later, if you do me a little favor."

"_**What kind of favor?"**_

"I want you to fly into my neighbors' houses, find which ones have news on, find fresh criminals, report them to me, and kill the ones I give the signal to."

Ryuk's swore his jaw could unhinge and fall to the ground right that moment.

"_**Are you kidding? I told you I'm not Kira's nor L's ally."**_

"This isn't about being an ally or enemy to anyone. Humans go to work to earn their living. In a similar fashion you earn your apples by doing me this favor."

Ryuk fell silent for a moment and mulled it over.

"_**One apple for each kill."**_ He said finally, but Light shook his head.

"That way you'll kill too many, even those who would not deserve a death penalty. Two apples each day, regardless whether you kill ten or none."

"_**Five apples."**_

"Three."

"_**Four."**_

"Three."

"_**I could just not do it."**_

"I could just not give you any apples, including _this_ batch."

"_**Three."**_

_**I am so going to write his name in my notebook.**_

* * *

So the deal worked out splendidly. Ryuk watched news, memorized the names and returned to Light, saying their ages and crimes, but never names, since it was forbidden for a Shinigami to tell a human another human's name and time left on this earth. Ryuk would report the criminals' crimes and Light either mover his pen's tip up or down. Up mean spare, down meant kill. Kind of like a gladiator game in ancient Rome.

The deal worked for a week, since that was how long the cameras were in place.

On another note, even as it was definitely L's idea to place cameras he also shared it with the task force. How did Light know? Well his father's behavior the few short times Light saw him. Soichiro's expression was constipated whenever he glanced towards his son, and his posture was really rigid. He also acted really awkwardly whenever he socialized with Light.

Personally Light found this to be beyond all his expectations. He knew his father was a good person but he was rather old fashioned. Homosexuality was something the elder Yagami consciously chose to ignore, that is until he discovered it in his son. Light expected his father to yell at him, not understanding at all. He even expected to be disowned, though that was worse case scenario. The way his father was coping right now there were two options: ignore the ordeal or accept the truth. Either way, both were better than Light expected.

* * *

Time seemed to fly by and before Light knew it the college exam day had arrived. He left for it with a leisurely step, Sayu and Sachiko enthusiastically cheering at him from the front door. He arrived ten minutes before the exams started.

"I really hate waiting inside, so I was planning to arrive three minutes before it began. I'm here a bit early." Light said easily with a nonchalant shrug.

_**Talk about confident…**_ Ryuk thought. This human truly was one of a kind.

Light went inside the exam room and took his seat, waiting for the examiner to give permission to begin.

"You may begin."

Light began to lazily fill out the exam papers. He paid no mind to the examiner as he walked briskly by him. Probably already caught some poor idiot attempting to cheat.

"You there, nr 162. Sit properly!" He commanded.

Okay, Light wasn't expecting _that_ one. Feeling a little curious he peered over his shoulder towards the scoldee. Well, he was sitting peculiarly alright, but with the way he looked it seemed almost natural. The guy wore baggy jeans and a very loose long sleeved shirt; his hair looked like it hadn't met a comb in years and the dark circles under his eyes indicated to chronic insomnia. Aside the unkempt look, he was holding his pencil lip wristed from it tail and he leaned his bare toes against the table. No wonder the examiner barked at him to sit properly.

_Is it just me, or is that guy actually staring at me _Light though, as it seemed to him the extremely dark eyes of the panda guy glared holes into him. Shaking his head Light decided he had other matters to attend to and returned to his exam.

The funny thing is, every exam he took, the panda guy was _always_ sitting behind him, sticking out like a sore thumb.

* * *

**Word count:**** 5093**


End file.
